Old Testament legends : being stories out of some of the less-known apocryphal books of the Old Testament

HAROLD S. LEE LIBRARY

©iRIGHAM YOUNG UNIS'CRJUTY

PROVO, UTAH

Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2019 with funding from
Brigham Young University

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OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

{See page xo)

OLD TESTAMENT
LEGENDS

BEING STORIES OUT OF SOME OF THE
LESS-KNOWN APOCRYPHAL BOOKS
OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

BY

M. R. JAMES, Litt.D.

PROVOST OF KING’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

WITH TEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY

H. J. FORD

LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.

39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
NEW YORK, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA
1913

the LIBRARY

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
PROVO, UTAH

TO

JANE AND MY
GODCHILDREN

PREFACE

If you read the title-page of this book — a thing
which young persons very seldom do — you will see
that it (the book) contains stories taken “out of
some of the less-known apocryphal books of the Old
Testament.” You will very possibly not under¬
stand what that means ; but if you will read this
preface — another thing which young persons do
even seldomer than they read a title-page — you
will find the best explanation that I can give.

I have to begin by talking about the word
apocryphal. The newspapers are fond of saying
that a statement made by the Prime Minister (or
the leader of the Opposition, according to which side
in politics the newspaper takes) is apocryphal. By
this, the newspaper means to say that the statement
was untrue. Or, you will read that someone ob¬
tained money or goods by saying that he possessed
large estates abroad ; and that the estates turned
out to be apocryphal. By this is meant that they
did not exist. But when you read of a book being

Vlll

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

apocryphal, something rather different is meant :
either that it is “spurious,” i.e. that it pretends to
be written by someone who did not write it ; or
that what is in it is fabulous and untrue, like the
stories of King Arthur ; or both.

Now this word apocryphal is specially used,
and perhaps most often used, in connection with the
Bible. Probably you have at least heard of some¬
thing called “the Apocrypha,” even if you have
not read it, and even if you have mixed it up in
your mind with another word, Apocalypse, which
has nothing whatever to do with it. Well, what
is “the Apocrypha”? It is to be found in many
Bibles, bound up between the Old and the New
Testaments. It is a set of books, looking just like
the other books of the Bible, with chapters and
verses. Some of it is read in church as weekday
lessons in the months of October and November,
as you may see by looking at the Table of Lessons
in any Prayer Book. Now, are all these books
of “the Apocrypha” fabulous or spurious? No.
Some of them are. The Second Book of Esdras
(that is, Ezra) was not written by Ezra ; The Book
of Baruch (the companion of the prophet Jeremiah)
was not written by Baruch ; The Wisdom of Solomon
was not written by Solomon. These and some

PREFACE

IX

others are spurious . Also, the books of Tobit and
of Judith are fabulous stories. On the other hand,
the book Ecclesiasticus was really written by Sirach
(who is mentioned in the Preface), and The First
Book of Maccabees is a true and valuable history.

Then why, if apocryphal means fabulous or
spurious, or both, are these books, some of which
are true and genuine, lumped all together and called
“Apocrypha”? I am sorry to disappoint you, but
I cannot go through the whole history. It is long,
it is difficult, and though it interests me, I am in¬
clined to think it would not interest you unless I
spread it over a great many pages, and filled it out
with stories ; and for this I have no time. Let me
tell you what strikes me as being the important
thing to bear in mind. Nearly all of these books
have been at some time or another read in church
and treated as Scripture. Nearly all of them are
now treated as Scripture by the Roman Church,
but not by most of the Protestant, or Reformed,
Churches. They are on the borderland of the
Bible. From having been so long kept together
in a group by themselves, they have come to be
thought of as being all of one uniform kind. But
they are not so ; they are of very different sorts
and merits.

X

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

Let us keep the old name for them and call
them “the Apocrypha.” It will be convenient to
do so, because I have now to speak of other
apocryphal books, which have never been bound
up in our Bibles, but in older times, before Bibles
were printed, were (some of them at least) read
in churches and thought to be sacred books. There
are a great many of these : perhaps, if they were
all put together, they would make up a volume
as large as the Old Testament itself ; but at present
there is no book in which they are all printed to¬
gether. Some are stories, others are visions like
those in the Revelation of St. John, others are
psalms and prophecies. But all of them, I think,
may fairly be called either fabulous or spurious,
or both.

I can give you an example from the Bible itself
to show that there were such books as long ago
as the times of the Apostles, and that they were
read and valued. In the 9th verse of the Epistle
of Jude, you read something very curious about
Satan contending with Michael about the body of
Moses. Ancient writers whom we may trust tell
us that this is taken from a book called The Assump¬
tion of Moses (that is, the story of Moses being
taken up out of this world at the end of his life).

PREFACE

xi

We have pieces of this book still, but we have
not got the whole story of the dispute between
Satan and Michael. However, we know that it was
represented as having taken place when Michael
and the other angels were burying the body of
Moses among the mountains in a place which was
kept secret from all men, and that Satan said that
though the soul of Moses might belong to God,
the body belonged to him ; and, moreover, that
Moses was a murderer, because, long before, he
had killed an Egyptian (as we read in Exodus ii.
12) ; whereupon Michael answered Satan in the
words, “The Lord rebuke thee,” and Satan fled.
That is one example. Another is in the 14th verse
of the same Epistle, where it is said that Enoch,
the seventh from Adam, prophesied of the coming
of the Lord to judge sinners. This verse is taken
out of a long book of prophecies and visions called
The Book of Enoch , which still exists, and we may
read the very words in it.

In this present book, I am only concerned
with the apocryphal stories; with the prophecies
and visions and psalms I have nothing to do.
Now, how and why did the stories come to be
written ?

It is likely enough that after reading some

Xll

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

history in the Bible you may have wondered
whether there was anything more to be known
about the people of whom it told you. You would
have liked to find out what happened to Adam, or
Joseph, or David, besides the things which are
written in the Bible. It was just so in ancient times
— the times when our Lord was on earth, and even
long before that. The Jews naturally thought a great
deal about the people who are mentioned in the Old
Testament ; and just as there are a great many
stories about the heroes of English history — such as
that of King Alfred and the cakes — which, we are
told now, are not true, so stories grew up about the
great men of the Bible. Perhaps they were invented,
some of them, in answer to questions which had
been asked. Some of them were certainly made
up in order to explain parts of the Bible which were
difficult to understand. I will give an example of
this. In the Book of Genesis (iv. 23, 24) you are
told how the patriarch Lamech spoke to his wives
and said, “ I have slain a man to my wounding, and
a young man to my hurt.” Nothing is said in ex¬
planation of this ; we are not told whom Lamech
had killed. So a story was made up — no one knows
when — which gives this explanation : Lamech was
blind, and he used to amuse himself by shooting

PREFACE xiii

birds and beasts with bow and arrow. When he went
out shooting, he used to take with him his young
nephew Tubal ; and Tubal used to spy the game
for him and guide his hands that he might aim his
arrow right. One day, when they were out together,
Tubal saw, as he thought, a beast moving in the
thicket ; and he told Lamech, and made him aim at
it, and Lamech’s arrow smote the beast and killed it.
But when Tubal ran to see what kind of beast it was,
he found that it was not a wild beast at all. It was
his ancestor Cain. For after Cain had killed Abel,
and God had pronounced a curse upon him, he
wandered about the earth, never able to remain in
one place ; and a great horn grew out of his head,
and his body was covered with hair; so that Tubal,
seeing him in the distance among the trunks of the
trees and the brushwood, was deceived, and mistook
him for a beast of chase. But when Tubal saw
what had happened, he was terrified, and ran back
to Lamech, crying out, “You have slain our fore¬
father Cain ! ” And Lamech also was struck with
horror, and raised his hands and smote them together
with a mighty blow. And in so doing he struck the
head of Tubal with his full strength, and Tubal fell
down dead. Then Lamech returned to his house,
and spoke to his wives the words that are written

xiv OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

in the Book of Genesis. This story, a very ancient
one, as I said, was invented by the Jews to explain
the difficult passage in Genesis ; and the early
Christian writers learnt it from the Jews, and it
passed into many commentaries which were written
in later times ; so that you may still see represen¬
tations of it carved in stone in churches, both in
England and elsewhere. In England it may be seen
on the inside of the stone roof of Norwich Cathedral,
and on the west front of Wells Cathedral ; but you
have to look carefully before you can find it.

There are other stories which pretend to explain
texts that do not seem so difficult. For instance, in
the 18th Psalm there is a verse, “Thou hast made
room enough under me for to go.” And about
this there is a long tale of how King David
went to fight the giant Ishbi-benob, and was nearly
killed by him ; for the giant took David and
cast him to the ground, and put a heavy wine-press
upon him, which would have crushed him, but that
the earth beneath him suddenly became soft and
yielded room for his body, and thus room was made
under him.

Then again, there are others which are like
parables.

At this point I will put in two short stories of

PREFACE

xv

the parable-kind, neither of which I think you are
likely to have seen. One of them is certainly taken
from an apocryphal book which is lost ; and the
other I suspect to have been taken either from the
same book or from one like it.

First I will tell the one about the source of
which I am not certain.

In the days of King Hezekiah there was in
Israel a rich man who was a miser and gave nothing
to the poor. But one day it happened that he
took up the book of the proverbs of King Solomon ;
and his eye fell upon the place where it is said,
“He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto
the Lord ; and look what he layeth out, it shall
be paid him again.” “So,” thought he to himself,
“this is a good security!” And forthwith he sold
all that he had, and distributed the price among
the poor, keeping for himself only two pieces of
money. But, to his disappointment, he did not
only become poor himself by this means, but he
remained poor. The money he had given away
did not come back, and no one else would give
him any. So he was reduced to despair, and said,
“I will go straight to Jerusalem, and demand of
God why He has deceived me, and induced me

to give away all my possessions by promises that

b

xvi OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

are false.” And he set forth. And on his way,
not far from Jerusalem, he saw two men fight¬
ing, and said to them, “Brethren, what is your
quarrel?” And one said, “We were journeying
together, and I saw a shining stone lying in the
road, and pointed it out to this man ; and because
he was swifter on his feet than I, he got to it
first. And now he says he will keep it for him¬
self, but I say it belongs to me, for I saw it first.”
Then said the traveller, “What is the value of
the stone?” They said, “We do not know.”
And he said, “Will you take these two pieces
of money for it and let me have it ? ” And to
this they consented. So when the man got to
Jerusalem, he took the stone to a jeweller and
showed it to him ; and no sooner had the jeweller
seen it than he fell on his face and gave thanks to
God. And then he said to the man, “Where did
you find this? For three whole years all Jerusalem
has been ransacked for this stone. Go quickly to
the High Priest and give it to him, and see what
he will give you ! ” At the same hour there came
an angel to the High Priest, and said to him,
“Within a few moments there will come to you
a man bringing the gem which three years ago
was lost out of the breastplate of Aaron the

PREFACE

XVII

priest. Receive it at his hands, and give him for
it a great sum of gold ; and when you have given
it, smite him lightly upon the cheek and say, ‘ Be
not distrustful in thy heart, and slow to believe
the word which says, 4 He that hath pity upon the
poor, lendeth unto the Lord.’ For thus saith the
Lord, c Have I not now in this present world re¬
paid thee many times over that which thou didst
lend to Me? And, if thou have faith, thou shalt
in the world to come receive a recompense yet
many times greater than this.’” And when the
man came, the High Priest did and said as he
had been commanded ; and the man’s heart was
moved, and he left in the temple all that great
sum which had been given him, and for the rest
of his life put his whole trust in the promises of
God.

The other short story is taken out of an apocry¬
phal book under the name of the prophet Ezekiel,
and is a parable of the soul and the body of man at
the day of judgment.

There was a certain king, it says, who made a
marriage feast for his eldest son, and invited all his
soldiers to his palace to share it. Now every one of
his subjects was a soldier and served in his army,
except only two, one of whom was blind and the

xviii OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

other lame ; and these two were not invited to
the feast, but remained in their huts — which were
near to one another — very angry and disappointed.
After a while the blind man called to the lame man,
44 It is a shame that we are not sitting down to the
feast along with the rest ! I should like to treat the
king as ill as he has treated us.” 44 How can we?”
said the lame man. 44 You know his garden,” said
the other ; 44 let us go and spoil it ! ” 44 All very well,”
said the lame man, 44 but how are we to get there?
I cannot walk.” 44 Neither can I see; but we will
contrive a way.” So they devised a plan. The lame
man plucked the grass that he could reach, and
plaited it into a string, and threw one end to the
blind man, who guided himself by it to the lame
man. Then he took the lame man on his back, and
carried him to the king’s garden, and there they did
all the mischief they could, trampling down and
tearing up plants and flowers ; and they went back
to their houses and remained there. When the rest
of the people came out from the banquet into the
garden, they were appalled at the sight of the
damage, and were much perplexed, saying, 44 Were
not all the soldiers of the king bidden to the feast ?
and is not every man in the kingdom a soldier?
Whence then are these tracks in the garden, and

PREFACE

xix

who has wrought this mischief ? ” After a while
the king bethought him of the blind and the lame
man ; they were brought before him, and he said to
the blind man, “Have you been into my garden?”
He answered, “Alas, sire! you see my infirmity,
and that I have no eyes wherewith to find my way ! ”
Then said the king to the lame man, “And you,
have you been into my garden ? ” And he answered,
“Surely my lord has forgotten my infirmity; it
cannot be that he desires to hurt my feelings by
mocking me ! ” So the king was perplexed, and
went apart to consider how the two could have
contrived the business— for he was sure that they
were guilty. At last a thought came to him, and he
set the lame man on the blind man’s shoulders, and
scourged them both together. Then indeed did they
cry out, and the lame said to the blind, “Did you
not lend me your feet to take me to the king’s
garden?” And the blind to the lame, “Did you
not lend me your eyes to show me the way ? ”
And in like manner at the judgment the soul
will say to the body, “I could not have sinned
if you had not given me the limbs with which
I did evil.” And the body to the soul, “But
it was you who thought of the evil which I
carried out.” Thus one will try to throw the

XX OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

blame on the other ; but is either of them free
from guilt?

Others of these apocryphal books are designed
to show how important some special virtue, or how
dangerous some particular sin, may be. Thus, there
is a book called The Testaments (or Last TV ords) of
the Twelve Patriarchs , in which each of the twelve
sons of Jacob, when he comes to die, calls his
children to him and tells them about his own life,
and warns them against his own besetting sin, or
shows how he has been helped by practising some
good habit : Simeon speaks about envy, Issachar
about simplicity, Zebulun about kindness, and so
on. And many others there are which are merely,
one would say, meant to tell us more about the
lives and deaths of the great men of the old times
than we can learn from the Bible.

Perhaps I have now said enough to show of
what sort the tales are that are told in this book
— some of them told for the first time in English.
They are not true, but they are very old ; some of
them, I think, are beautiful, and all of them seem
to me interesting.

In case anyone should wish to know more about
them, I will put down here the names of the books
from which I have taken them.

PREFACE

xxi

The first part of the story of Adam is shortened
from Mr. S. C. Malan’s translation of The Book of
Adam and Eve , and from Dillmann’s German trans¬
lation of the same (Das christliche Adambuch des
Morgenlandes ). The second part is from the Greek
Revelation of Moses (in Tischendorf’s Apocalypses
Apocryphae ), and from the Latin Life of Adam , edited
by W. Meyer.

The first part of the story of Abraham is from
The Apocalypse of Abraham , translated from Slavonic
by Professor N. Bonwetsch ; the second part is
from The Testament of Abraham , edited by me in
Texts and Studies .

The story of Aseneth is from the Greek History
of Aseneth, edited by Batiffol in Studia Patristica.

The story of Job is taken from The Testament of
Job in my Apocrypha Anecdota (ii.).

That of Solomon is from The Testament of Solo¬
mon as printed by Migne at the end of the works
of Michael Psellus.

That of Baruch from The Rest of the Words of
Baruch , edited by Dr. J. Rendel Harris.

That of Ahikar principally from the French
edition by the Abbe F. Nau, with some few touches
borrowed from that by Dr. J. Rendel Harris.

One last word. Not all of the stories in this

xxii OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

book are equally old. The oldest is most likely
that of Ahikar. Lately some pieces of it have
been discovered in Egypt in a very ancient copy.
Next, probably, comes the second part of the
story of Adam. In each of the others there are
some parts which are derived from early Jewish
tales, but the books in which we have them now
were put into their present shape by Christians.
Still, there is not one that is less than fifteen
hundred years old.

CONTENTS

PAGE

ADAM . 1

THE DEATH OF ADAM AND EVE . . .15

ABRAHAM . 25

THE STORY OF ASENETH, JOSEPH’S WIFE . 49

JOB . 81

SOLOMON AND THE DEMONS. . . .105

THE STORY OF EBEDMELECH THE ETHIOPIAN,

AND OF THE DEATH OF JEREMIAH . 121

AHIKAR ........ 135

xxiii

ILLUSTRATIONS

How Satan deceived Eve in the river (see p. 10) Frontispiece
Then came one of the Seraphim and bare

THE SOUL OF ADAM TO THE LAKE OF PURE

WATER IN THE GARDEN

•

Facing p.

22

Abraham and the broken idols

•

55

28

Aseneth doing homage to her gods

•

55

53

66 Aseneth, rise up ” .

•

55

63

Aseneth flies in her chariot from

IN AMBUSH BY THE RIVER

THE MEN

55

76

Satan departs, vanquished by Job at

LAST

55

94

Job’s happy death ....

•

55

102

Ephippas and the Demon of the Red Sea

bring the great Pillar to Solomon .

55

116

How Ahikar outwitted the King of

Egypt .

55

152

XXV

ADAM

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

ADAM

When Adam and Eve were driven out of the
Garden of Eden, they were as helpless as little
children. They knew nothing of day or night,
heat or cold ; they could not kindle a fire to warm
themselves, nor till the ground to grow food. They
had as yet no clothes to wear and no shelter against
rain or sun. As long as they were in the garden,
it was always light and warm, and their bodies
were so fashioned that they had no need of food
or sleep or of protection against the burning of
the sun ; but since they had eaten of the Tree of
Knowledge, they had become like us. Moreover,
all the beasts and birds were friendly with them ;
but now they knew that it was not so, and that
they had no defence if any fierce animal chose to
attack them ; and, more than all, they knew that
they had a cruel enemy lying in wait for them out¬
side the garden, even Satan, who had hated them
from the first, and had brought about their fall by
means of the serpent. And so it was that when

4

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

they came out of the gate of the garden and saw
the earth stretched out before them, covered with
rocks and sand, and found themselves in a strange
land where there was no one to guide them, they
fell down on their faces, and became as dead, because
of the misery and sorrow which they felt. But
God looked upon them and sent His Word to raise
them up and comfort them ; and showed them a
place not very far from the garden where there
was a cave ; and told them that they were to live
there. Now this was the cave which was after¬
wards called the Cave of Treasures.

When first they entered into the cave, they did
nothing but weep and lament : not only because
they had lost the garden, but also because for the
first time the sky was hidden from them by the
roof of the cave ; for as yet they had never been
in any place where they could not see it. But
when the sun set and there was darkness outside
the cave as well as inside, they were frightened
beyond measure; for they said, “It is because of
what we have done : the light is gone out of the
heavens, and will come back no more.” Then the
Word of God spake to them and said, “Be com¬
forted ; it is only so for a few hours, and the light
will return to you.” And they remained praying
and weeping in the cave until the darkness began

ADAM

5

- r

to grow less. After that the sun rose, and Adam
went to the mouth of the cave, and it shone full
upon him, and he felt the burning heat of it on his
body for the first time, and thought that it was God
who had come to afflict and punish him ; and he
beat upon his breast and prayed for mercy. But
God said, “This sun is not God; it is created to
give light to the world, and every day it will rise
in like manner, and travel over the heavens and
set, as you have seen it. I am God, who comforted
you in the night.”

Then Adam and Eve took courage, and came
out of the cave, and thought they would go towards
the garden ; and when they came near to the gate
by which they had been driven out of it, they
met the serpent. Now before it tempted Eve and
became accursed, the serpent had been the most
beautiful of all the creatures. Its head was of all the
colours of the most beautiful jewels ; it had eyes like
emeralds, and a melodious voice ; it had slender and
graceful legs, and it fed on perfumed flowers and
delicious fruits. Now it was loathsome to look
upon ; it wriggled on its belly in the dust, and all
creatures spurned and hated it. And when it saw
Eve it was enraged to think of the curse that had
come upon it through her, and it raised itself up and
darted at her, and its eyes became blood-red with

6

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

anger. Then Adam, who had nothing in his hand
wherewith to defend Eve, ran and caught it by the
tail, but it turned upon him and coiled about him and
Eve with its body and began to crush them ; and it
said, “It is because of you that I am compelled to
trail in the dust and have lost my beauty.” And
they cried out for fear. But God sent an angel
who caught hold of the serpent and loosed them,
and smote the serpent with dumbness, so that there¬
after it could only hiss. And a great wind came
and took it up, and cast it away upon the seashore
of India.

And when Adam and Eve had a little recovered
themselves from their fear, they went on towards
the garden ; but at the gate of it there stood a great
cherub holding a sword of fire ; and when they
were able to look upon his face, they saw that he
was angry and that he frowned upon them, and
raised his sword as if he would smite them with it ;
but he said nothing. So they were in great fear,
and turned from him and went back in great sorrow
of heart, wandering they knew not whither, until
they found themselves standing on the top of a
rock, and before their feet was a precipice. And
Adam was so miserable that he desired to live no
longer ; and he cast himself down from the top
of the rock, and lay on the ground below without

ADAM

7

moving; and Eve thought that he was dead, and
said, “I will not live after him; it is through my
fault that all these evils have come upon him.” And
she also threw herself down from the top of the
rock ; but though both of them were torn and
bruised, they were not wounded to death. And
after a long time they came to themselves.

Then they bethought them that they had done
wrong in trying to put an end to their own lives
before it pleased God to set them free from this
world. Therefore Adam took stones and piled
them up in the shape of an altar, and then they
gathered leaves from the trees and wiped off the
blood that had been spilt upon the face of the rock,
and gathered up the dust that was mingled with
their blood and laid it upon the altar, and prayed
to God to forgive their trespass. And this was the
first offering that they made to God. And God
looked upon them with pity and forgave them, and
said, “ As you have shed your blood, so after five
thousand and five hundred years have passed will
I take your flesh upon Me and shed My blood for
you and for your children ; and it shall have power
to quench the flame of the sword which is in the
hand of the angel, and you shall enter again into
the garden, and dwell there until the time when I
shall make a new heaven and a new earth®”

8

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

But when Satan saw that God had pity upon
Adam and Eve and accepted their humble offering
— for he was all this time keeping watch to see
what would become of them — he was filled with dis¬
may and hate, and began to contrive means by which
he might lead them astray and put an end to them ;
for he thought, “ If these creatures were destroyed,
the earth would remain to me and to my hosts, and
I should reign over it alone.” He called therefore
for some of his host, and made them appear like
angels of light. And when they were all disguised
in this fashion, they rose into the air and flew to¬
wards the cave, from which Adam and Eve were
just coming out, meaning to go once again towards
the garden. When they caught sight of these bright
ones in the air, they stopped and raised their hands
towards them, thinking that they were angels
coming to them with a message. Satan called to
Adam, “ Adam, we are angels come from God ; He
has sent us to bring you to the lake of pure water
that is on the north side of Eden, that you may
wash yourselves in it and be cleansed from your
sin, and return once more to the garden. Gome
therefore and follow us.” And they turned and
began flying towards the north ; but Adam and
Eve were glad beyond measure, and followed the
troop of angels as quickly as they could, till they

ADAM

9

came to the mountain on the north side of Eden
which overhung the lake. Then Satan lighted on
the ground, and guided them to the top of the
mountain, which was very steep. And when they
were at the summit, they stood for a while and
looked down upon the waters of the lake ; and
while they were doing so, Satan vanished away
silently, and all his host with him ; so that when
Adam and Eve looked round, they found them-
selves left alone and in great peril. And they saw
that they had been brought into this danger by
Satan, and that he had deceived them once again.
And they cried aloud for help.

Then God had pity on them, and commanded
the angels Sariel and Salathiel to bear them in
their arms and carry them back to their cave.
And when they were come there, Adam prayed to
God that, if they might not be permitted to go into
the garden any more, He would at least give them
something for a remembrance of it to comfort them.
So God commanded the archangel Michael to go
as far as the Sea of India, and fetch thence some
gold, and dip it in the water that flows from under
the Tree of Life, and give it to Adam. Likewise
He commanded Gabriel to speak to the cherub
that kept the gate of the garden, and go in and
fetch some frankincense ; and Raphael to bring

10

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

myrrh also from the garden. And they did so. And
Michael brought seventy rods of gold, and Gabriel
twelve pounds weight of frankincense, and Raphael
three pounds of myrrh ; and these were all laid up
in the cave where Adam and Eve lived : wherefore
it was called the Gave of Treasures. And when
the appointed time was fulfilled, and the Word took
upon Him the flesh of the sons of Adam, three
kings came from the East to do Him honour, and
offered to Him that same gold and frankincense and
myrrh, which had come down to them through
many generations.

After some days, Adam and Eve made a vow
that they would go, one of them to the river Tigris
and the other to the river Euphrates, and would
wade into the water up to the neck, and stand
there for forty whole days and nights, praying
earnestly that they might be forgiven ; for even
yet they went on hoping that, if they accomplished
some great act of repentance, they might be per¬
mitted to return into Eden. They separated, there¬
fore, and stood in the water of the river, fasting
and praying. But Satan suspected that they had
made such a vow, and it frightened him, for he
did not feel sure that God would not change His
purpose and forgive them ; and he said to himself,
“I will take care that they shall not keep their

ADAM

11

vow.” Accordingly, on the thirty-fifth day, as Eve
stood praying in the water, she heard a voice as of
an angel praising God, and she looked and saw one
in bright raiment coming to her, and he called to her
and said, “God has forgiven Adam! All is well.
I have just now brought the good tidings to Adam,
and he bade me come and tell you ; and lest you
should doubt of the truth, he said, ‘ Remind her
of the sign which was given to us in the cave : how
the angels brought the gold and laid it on the south
side, and the incense on the east, and the myrrh on
the west.’ ” Then Eve was sure that the messenger
spoke true, and she rejoiced greatly, and came, as
well as she could, out of the water, and followed
him. But when they came in sight of the river
Euphrates, she saw Adam still standing in the
water praying, and she knew that she had been
deceived ; and at that moment Satan vanished away,
and Eve fell upon the ground, for she was stiff with
the cold, and weak with fasting. As for Adam,
when he saw her, he cried out and smote upon his
breast, and sank down into the water, and would
have perished but that God sent His angel and
drew him up out of the water. And he showed
Adam that he could not by these means gain admit¬
tance to the garden before the time appointed was
fulfilled.

12

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

After these things God showed Adam and Eve
the things that were necessary for their life. For
as yet they had eaten nothing since they came out
of the garden ; because the food which they had
when they were there was heavenly food, and it sus¬
tained them through all these many days. Neither
had they any clothes. Therefore God told them to
go to the seashore, and there they should find the
skins of some sheep whose flesh had been devoured
by lions, and these skins they should take and make
them into raiment. But Satan heard the words of
God, and immediately went to the place where the
skins were, with intent to throw them into the sea,
or burn them with fire ; only, just as he was about
to seize them, God spake a word, and Satan was
bound there immovable, in his own hideous form.
And when Adam and Eve came to the place, they
saw him crouching beside the skins ; and they were
afraid at the horrible look of him. Then the Word
came to them, saying, “This is he who promised to
make you as gods. What have you gained, think
you, by hearkening to his words ? ” And Satan was
cowed, and fled away in shame.

Adam and Eve therefore took the sheep-skins,
and there came an angel who showed them how to
sew them together with palm-thorns and sinews,
and they made them into raiment.

ADAM

13

Again, God showed them a land where corn was
growing, and told them how they might use it for
bread ; for it was ripe, and they gathered the ears
and made an offering of the first ears. And Satan
came and burnt part of the corn ; but the angels
drove him away.

Many other times also did Satan try to destroy
Adam and Eve, coming to them disguised as an
angel and enticing them into the wilderness ; and
again, when they were sleeping on the side of a
mountain outside their cave, he loosened a great
rock above them that it might fall and crush them ;
but the angels of God caught it and fixed it like a
roof over the heads of Adam and Eve, and when
they awoke they were astonished. And once he
fell upon Adam and smote him in the side with a
sharp stone so that he almost slew him. Neverthe¬
less, in all these perils Adam and Eve put their
trust in God, and He protected them and healed
them. And after a time Satan perceived that he
would not be able to destroy them by injuring
their bodies, and that they would not listen to him
when he tempted them to disobey God. So Satan’s
war against Adam was defeated.

This is the first part of the story of Adam, as it
is told in an old book called The Conflict of Adam and

14

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

Eve. It is only part of the story ; I have left out a
great deal. The second part of the story is taken
from a Greek book called The Revelation of Moses ,
and a Latin one called The Life of Adam and Eve.
It tells how Adam died and was buried.

THE DEATH OF ADAM AND EVE

4

THE DEATH OF ADAM AND EVE

Adam lived for 930 years ; and there were born to
him thirty sons and thirty daughters. And when
he was 930 years old he fell sick, and sent for all
his children, and for their children also, saying,
“Come and let me see you before I die.” They
all gathered together therefore at the door of his
dwelling, saving Gain, who was a wanderer upon
the face of the earth ; but Seth was the eldest of
those that came, and he was the most beloved son
of Adam and Eve.

And Seth said to his father, “ Father, what is the
matter with you?” And Adam answered, “ Great
pain and sickness is upon me.” And his children
said, “ What mean you by pain and sickness ? ” For
as yet no one had died upon the earth except Abel,
whom Cain slew. Then said Seth, “Father, is it
because you long after the garden and desire the
fruit of it? If it be so, command me, and I will
go to the gate, and cast dust upon my head, and
weep and pray ; and God will send His angel, and
it may be He will suffer me to bring you some of
the fruit of the garden, and you shall eat it and

x* B

18

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

recover.” Eve also wept and said, “ My lord Adam,
give me the half of your disease, and let me bear
it for you ; because it is through my fault that this
evil has come upon you.” Then said Adam, “I
will tell you what you shall do, even you and my
son Seth: you shall go to the garden and pray
there as you have said, and ask the angel to give
me some of the oil of mercy that flows from the
Tree of Life, and bring it to me that I may anoint
my body with it, and be eased from my pain.”

So Eve and Seth departed and went towards
the garden ; and as they were going through the
woods, a wild beast leaped out and attacked Seth.
And Eve was terrified and cried out, “Alas! alas!
what will become of me at the last day? Surely
all that have done evil will curse me, saying, ‘ Woe
unto Eve, because she kept not the commandment
of God ! ’ ” And she cried out upon the wild beast,
“How wast thou not afraid to fight against the
image of God ? How is thy mouth opened against
Him ? Dost thou not remember that God put thee
in subjection to us ? ” And the beast spake with a
man’s voice and said, “What have we to do with
thy weeping and complaints ? How was it that thy
mouth was opened to eat of the fruit ? Accuse me
not, lest I begin to accuse thee.” Then said Seth
to the beast, “Shut thy mouth: be silent: dare

THE DEATH OF ADAM AND EVE 19

not to touch the image of God.” And the beast
answered, “ Thee will I obey, O Seth.” And it fled
and left him wounded, and went back to its den.

So Eve and Seth went on to the garden and wept
before the gate, beseeching God to send them the
oil of mercy for Adam. And God sent Michael
the archangel to them, who said, “Seth, thou man
of God, weary not thyself with making supplica¬
tion for the oil of mercy, for it cannot be given
to thee now. But when the times are fulfilled,
then shall come One who shall anoint thy father
with that oil, and he shall rise up and return to
the garden, he and all his seed ; and the evil heart
shall be taken from them, and a new heart shall
be given them to understand that which is good,
and God shall dwell in the midst of them, and they
shall be His people. But now go back to thy father,
for his end is near, even within three days, and
tell him these words ; and watch what shall come
to pass when he is taken from thee.” They re¬
turned therefore to Adam, and told him ; and he
groaned and said, “Alas! O Eve, what is this that
thou hast done, to bring upon us the dominion of
death? Now therefore call together our children
and our children’s children, and tell them concerning
our sin, from first to last.” So, when they were
assembled, Eve spoke to them, and told them the

20

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

whole story of how Satan came to the serpent and
taunted it for paying homage to Adam and Eve,
forasmuch as they were neither so beautiful nor
so wise as itself ; and he persuaded the serpent to
let him speak through its mouth ; and at the hour
when the angels go up to the heavens to worship
God, the serpent slipped over the wall and found
Eve by the Tree of Knowledge ; and of what
happened after that, until the time when they were
cast out of the garden. And when she ceased
speaking, her children departed.

Then she went in to Adam, and said to him,
“How can I live when you are dead? and how
long will it be before I also die? Tell me.” Adam
answered, “Trouble not yourself; for you will not
tarry long after me, and I believe that the same
grave will hold both of us. But now, when I die,
leave me alone, and let no one touch me until the
will of God is made known concerning me. For
I am sure that God will not forget me, but will
visit the creature which His hands have made.
Now therefore go and pray to Him until I give
up my spirit to Him that gave it ; for we know
not how we shall meet Him, whether He will yet
be wroth with us, or whether He will turn and
have mercy upon us.” She went out therefore and
fell upon the ground and prayed a long time.

THE DEATH OF ADAM AND EVE 21

And at last the Angel of Mankind came to her
and said, “Rise up, Eve; for Adam thy husband
is departing out of this life, and is going to meet
Him that made him.”

Eve therefore arose and looked up into the
sky ; and she saw a chariot of light coming, drawn
by four shining eagles, and angels on either side
escorting the chariot. And when it came above
the place where our father Adam lay, it stayed.
And the angels came bearing censers, and they stood
about it and lighted their censers, and the smoke
of the incense rose up and hid the firmament ; and
the angels bowed and worshipped, saying, “Holy
One, have mercy, for he is Thine image and the
work of Thy hands.”

Also Eve beheld two great and fearful ones
standing in the heavens, and she was afraid and
called upon Seth, saying, “Rise up, O Seth, and
come to me, and behold that which no eye of man
hath looked upon.” So he came to her, and she
said, “Seest thou the seven heavens open, and thy
father Adam lying upon his face and the holy angels
interceding for him ? ” She said, moreover, “ Who
are the two dark ones that stand praying for thy
father?” And Seth answered, “They are the Sun
and the Moon, who are entreating the Most High
for my father Adam.” And Eve said, “Where

22

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

then is their light, and why is their aspect black ? ”
And he said, “They cannot shine in the presence
of the Light of all things : therefore is their light
departed from them.”

Now as Seth was speaking to his mother, behold,
the angels blew with the trumpets, and fell on their
faces, and cried with a loud voice, “Blessed be
the glory of the Lord over all His works ; for He
hath had compassion upon Adam, the work of His
hands.” Then came one of the Seraphim, having
six wings, and caught up the soul of Adam and
bare it to the lake of pure water which is on the
north side of Eden, and washed it before the face
of God. And the Most High commanded him to
deliver it unto Michael the archangel, that he should
bear it into Paradise until the day of the visitation
of all things.

After that the holy archangel entreated the
Most High concerning the body of Adam. And
God commanded all the angels to come before
Him, every one in his order ; and they gathered
themselves together, bearing censers and trumpets
and vials full of odours. And the Lord of Hosts
went up, and the great winds before Him, and the
Cherubim flying upon the winds, and the angels of
heaven round about Him. And they bore up the
body of Adam and carried it into the garden. And
all the trees of the garden bowed and swayed and

THE DEATH OF ADAM AND EYE 23

gave forth their odours. And because of the great¬
ness of that sight, and of the sweetness of the
odours of Paradise, all the sons of Adam, and all
that were on the earth, were cast into a deep
sleep, saying Seth only.

Now as the body of Adam lay in Paradise, God
said, “ O Adam, why didst thou transgress My com¬
mandment? For if thou hadst kept it, they that
persecute thee would not have rejoiced against thee.
Nevertheless I say unto thee, that hereafter I will
turn their joy into sorrow, and thy sorrow into
joy.”

Then the angels brought shrouds of silk and
fine linen, and God commanded Michael, Gabriel,
Uriel, and Raphael, and they wrapped up the body
of Adam therein, and anointed it with sweet
odours. And the Lord said, “Bring hither also
the body of Abel.” For since the day when Cain
slew him, the body of Abel had not been buried:
because Gain often sought to hide it, but the earth
would not receive it, until the dust that was first
taken out of her and made into a body, that is,
the body of Adam, should be restored to her.

So the body of Abel was brought and wrapped
in grave-clothes like that of Adam ; and they were
both of them buried in the place from which God
took the dust when He formed Adam at the first,
and the angels dug the grave and covered it in.

24

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

And when this was done, God called to the body,
saying, “ Adam, Adam ! ” And the body answered,
“Here am I, Lord.” And the Lord said, “I said
unto thee, 4 Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou
return.’ Behold now I promise thee that in the
last days I will raise thee up yet again out of the
dust, even thee and all thy seed with thee.” And
God sealed the tomb that no man should touch it
until six days were fulfilled, and the rib which was
taken out of Adam should be given back to him.

After these things Eve awoke out of her sleep,
and was troubled because she knew not what had be¬
come of the body of Adam ; and she prayed, saying,
“Lord, as Thou didst make me out of the flesh of
Adam, and as I was with him in the garden, and
after we were cast out I was never parted from
him, so now, I beseech thee, suffer me to be buried
with him, and let no man part us asunder.” And
on the seventh day after the death of Adam, Eve
was thus praying ; and when she had ended her
prayer, she looked up into heaven and smote her
breast and said, “Lord God of all things, receive
my spirit.” And so she gave up her soul to God.

And immediately the angels came and took her
body, and buried it in the place where the bodies of
Adam and Abel were laid.

ABRAHAM

ABRAHAM

Abraham was the son of Terah, and Terah was a
maker of idols which he sold to the people round
about him. Now this is the story of how Abraham
came to believe in the true God ; and in the ancient
book the story is put into the mouth of Abraham
himself, and he tells it in this way :

I was troubled in my mind because I desired to
know who was in truth the strongest of all the
Gods. And one day when I was attending to the
gods of my father Terah, gods of wood and stone,
gold and silver, iron and brass, I went into the
temple where they stood, and found that one of
them, the god named Marumath, who was carved
out of stone, had fallen over and was lying at the
feet of the god Zucheus. When I saw that, I was
alarmed, and thought that I should never be able
to put him back in his place by myself, because he
was so heavy ; so I went and told my father, and
he came, and the two of us could hardly manage to
move him ; but as we were doing so, the head of
the god broke off in my hands. At that my father
said, “Abraham” (and I said, “Here am I”),

2 7

28

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

“ bring me the chisels out of the house.” And when
I had done so, he fashioned another Marumath out
of stone, without a head, and fixed the head that
had come off the first Marumath upon it ; and the
rest of the old Marumath he broke in pieces.

After that he made five more gods, and bade me
take them and sell them in the streets of the city ;
and I saddled the ass, and put them upon it, and
went to the river to sell them ; and there I found
merchants coming from Fandana in Syria with
camels, on their way to Egypt to bring papyrus
from the Nile. And as I was talking with them
one of their camels belched, and the donkey took
fright and ran off, and the gods fell off its back,
and three of them were broken, and only two
remained whole. But when the Syrians saw what
had happened, they said, “ Why did you not tell us
that you had gods to sell? We might have bought
them before the donkey took fright, and they would
not have been destroyed ; at least we will take the
gods that remain, and pay you the price of them
all.” And they did so ; and the broken gods I
cast into the river Gur, and they sank and were
seen no more.

But as I returned home, I was bewildered and
divided in my mind. I said to myself, “What an
evil trade is this that my father practises ! Is not

ABRAHAM

29

he in truth the god of his own gods which he makes
with his chisels and lathes and his skill ? Ought they
not rather to worship him than he them ? Surely it
it is all deceit. Look at Marumath, who fell and
could not get up again, and these five other gods
which could not punish the donkey for running
away with them, nor keep themselves from being
broken and thrown into the river.”

And as I was thinking of all these things, I
arrived at my father’s house. Then I gave the
ass his hay and water, and went in and gave the
price of the gods to my father Terah, and he was
pleased and said, “Blessed be thou of my gods:
my labour has not been in vain.” But I said,
“ It is rather thou, father, that givest blessing to the
gods, for thou art their god ; their own blessing
is vain and their help is naught : if they cannot
help themselves, how should they help thee or
bless me?” But he was very angry with me for
speaking lightly of his gods.

Then I went out of the house, and after a while
my father called me and said, “Gather up the
chips of the fig-wood wherewith I was making
gods before you came in, and see about preparing
dinner.”

And as I was doing so, I found a little god
lying among the straw and the rubbish, and on

30

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

his forehead was written: “The god Barisat.” So
I kept him, and did not tell my father ; and when
I had kindled the fire to cook the dinner, and was
going out to fetch the food, I set Barisat down in
front of the fire and said to him, “Barisat, take
care that the fire does not go out before I come
back ; and if it does, blow upon it and revive it.”
Then I went out and did my errand, and when
I returned I found Barisat fallen over backwards,
and his feet were in the fire and were badly burnt ;
and I laughed to myself and said, “You are in
truth a good fireman and cook, Barisat.” Just then
the fire caught upon his body and burnt him all up.

When the time was come, I brought food to my
father and he ate, and I gave him wine and milk
and he drank, and rejoiced and praised his god
Marumath; and I said, “Father, you should not
praise Marumath, but rather Barisat, for he has done
more for you : he has thrown himself into the fire
to cook your dinner.” “And where is he now?”
said my father. “He has been burnt to ashes,”
I said, “in the heat of the fire, and nothing but
dust is left of him.” And my father said, “Great
is the strength of Barisat ! I will make another
one to-day, and he shall prepare my food for me
to-morrow.” .

Now when I heard my father say these words,

ABRAHAM

31

I laughed in myself, and yet I was troubled and
angry in my soul. And at last I answered and
said, “Whichever of these things you honour as
a god, it is folly. The god Zucheus, who is the
god of my brother Nahor, is more honourable than
your god Marumath, for he is adorned with gold
finely wrought, and when he is old he will be
fashioned over again ; but if Marumath is broken
or injured he will not be renewed, for he is only
of stone. And again the god Joauv, who stands
next to Zucheus, is more honourable than Barisat,
for he is covered with silver ; but as for Barisat,
you made him yourself with your axe, and, look,
he is fallen upon the earth, and the fashion of his
likeness is destroyed, and he is burnt to ashes, and
you say, ‘ To-day I will make another, and he shall
prepare my food to-morrow.’

“ But I say to you, my father, the fire is mightier
than all your gods of gold and silver and stone and
wood, for it can devour them all. Yet I call not
the fire god, for it is weaker than the water which
can subdue it. Yet again I call not the water god,
for the earth swallows it up. Neither call I the
earth god, for it is subject to men that till it, and to
the sun that gives light to it. Neither call I the sun
god, for it is overcome by the darkness of night.
But I say that there is one true God who hath

32

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

made all these things ; who hath made the heavens
blue, and the sun golden, and the moon and stars
white and shining, and hath raised up the earth
from among the waters, and breathed into thee
the breath of life, and hath sought me out in the
trouble of my soul ; and would that He might reveal
Himself unto us ! ”

And as I was speaking these words to my father
in the court of his house, there came from heaven
the voice of a Mighty One speaking out of a cloud
of lire, and said, “ Abraham, Abraham!” And I
said, “Behold, here am I!” And He said, “In
the thought of thy heart thou seekest after the God
of Gods and the Maker of all things : I am He.
Depart from thy father Terah and go out of his
house, lest thou be consumed in his wickedness.”
And I went out ; and it came to pass, as I came to
the door of the house, that there fell a noise of a
great thundering, and the fire fell and burnt up my
father Terah and his house and all that was therein.

This is the story of the beginning of the life of
Abraham ; and that which is told about the end of
his life is as follows :

Abraham had lived out the measure of his days.
He was now a hundred and seventy-five years old,
and all the days of his life he had lived in kindness

ABRAHAM

33

and meekness and uprightness : and especially was
he hospitable and courteous to strangers. He dwelt
by the cross-roads near the oak of Mamre, and
entertained all the wayfarers who came that way,
rich and poor, lame and sound, friends or strangers.
But at last to him, as to all other men, there came the
bitter cup of death, which none can put away. So
when the time was come, the Most High called to him
the archangel Michael and said to him, “Michael,
prince of the host, go down to Abraham and speak
to him concerning his death, that he may set his
house in order : for his possessions are great.
Announce to him therefore that he is to depart
speedily out of the earthly life, and come to his
Lord in peace and happiness.”

Michael therefore went forth from the presence
of the Lord and went down to Abraham at the oak
of Mamre, and found him in the fields hard by,
watching his husbandmen ploughing with their
oxen. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw
Michael coming towards him in the dress and
fashion of a soldier — for he was the captain of the
Lord’s host — very beautiful to look upon. And
Abraham rose and went to meet him, as was his
custom with all strangers ; and when they had
saluted one another, Abraham asked Michael
whence he came; and Michael answered, “I come

34

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

from the Great City, and my errand is to fetch a
certain friend of the Great King, whom He is
inviting to come to Him.” Then said Abraham,
“My lord, come with me to my house.” And
when Michael consented, Abraham called one of
his men and bade him fetch two quiet horses that he
and the stranger might ride home on them. But
Michael refused, for he knew that no earthly horse
could bear him ; so he said, “ Nay, but rather let us
go on foot to your house.”

And as they went up from the fields, they came
to a cypress-tree growing by the wayside ; and as
they passed by it there came from it a human voice,
which said, “Holy is the Lord who calleth to
Himself them that love Him.” Now this happened
by the commandment of God, to be a sign to
Abraham, and he marvelled ; but when he looked
at his companion and saw that he seemed to take
no notice of it, he said nothing, thinking that only
he had heard the voice. Soon after they came
to the house, and Isaac and Sarah came to greet
them, and they sat down in the courtyard of the
house. But Isaac said to his mother Sarah,
“ Mother, I am sure that the man who is sitting
with my father is not of the race of men that live
on the earth.” Just then Abraham called to Isaac,
“Isaac, my son, draw water from the well, and

ABRAHAM

35

bring it to me in a basin, that we may wash the
stranger’s feet, for he has come a long journey.”
So Isaac ran and fetched the water to his father ;
and Abraham said to him secretly, “ My child, some¬
thing says to me that this will be the last time that I
shall wash the feet of any stranger coming to this
house.” And Isaac was greatly distressed and said,
“ What mean you, father, by these words ? ” Abra¬
ham said nothing, but stooped down and began to
wash the feet of Michael ; and Isaac wept. Abra¬
ham too shed tears, and Michael seeing it, was moved
with pity, and wept also ; and his tears fell into the
basin of water and became precious pearls. When
Abraham saw that, he marvelled ; but he gathered
up the pearls secretly and said nothing.

After that he told Isaac to go and prepare the
banqueting-room, spread two couches, light the
lamps, burn sweet odours, and fetch fragrant herbs
and flowers from the garden. “ For,” said he, “ this
man who is come to us is worthy of all the honour
we can do him.” So Isaac went to make ready the
room, and Sarah also set about preparing a feast.
Then, while they were all busying themselves with
preparation, the sun began to set, and the hour
came at which all the angels appear before God
and worship Him; and Michael also flew up into
the heavens in the twinkling of an eye, and stood

36

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

before the Lord. And when all the angels had
done their worship and gone forth again, Michael
remained and said to the Lord, “Lord, I cannot
speak to Abraham about his death ; for I have
never seen his like upon the earth, kind, courte¬
ous, hospitable, fearing God, and keeping himself
pure from all evil. I cannot grieve his heart by
telling him that he is to die.” And the Lord said,
“ Go down again to my friend Abraham, and what¬
soever he would have thee do, do it ; and I will
put the thought of his death into the mind of his
son Isaac in a dream. Then Isaac shall tell the
dream, and thou shalt interpret it, and so Abraham
shall be certified of his death.”

So Michael returned to Abraham’s house, and
sat at meat with him, and Isaac waited on them ;
and after supper, Abraham offered up prayer as he
was wont, and the archangel prayed with him, and
they went to their beds. Isaac also asked his father
if he might sleep with them, for he desired exceed¬
ingly to be near the wonderful stranger and to hear
his words; but Abraham said, “Nay, my son, lest
we be burdensome to the stranger.” Therefore
Isaac bowed down and received his father’s blessing,
and went to his own chamber.

And about the third hour of the night Isaac
dreamed a dream, and it frightened him, so that

ABRAHAM

37

he leapt out of bed and ran hastily to the room
where Abraham and Michael were sleeping, and
beat upon the door and said, “Father, open to me
quickly ! let me kiss you once again before they
take you away from me.” Then Abraham opened
the door, and Isaac ran in and hung upon his neck,
weeping loudly. And Sarah was awakened by the
noise of the weeping, and came quickly to them ;
and she also wept and said, “What is the matter?
Has our brother who is come to us brought you evil
tidings of Lot, your nephew?” But Michael said,
“No, lady, it is not so; but, as I think, your son
Isaac has dreamed a dream which has troubled him,
so he came to us weeping, and we were moved at
the sight of his tears, and wept with him.”

Now Sarah, when she heard the sound of the
voice of Michael, became sure in her own mind
that it was an angel of God who was speaking.
She beckoned therefore to Abraham to come to her
at the door of the house, and took him aside and
said to him, “ Do you know who this man is? ” and
he said, “No.” “Do you remember,” said she,
“ the three men who came to us once at the oak of
Mamre ; and how you killed a calf and prepared a
feast for them ; and how when the calf was eaten,
it suddenly became whole again and sprang up and
ran and suckled its mother? I am sure that this

38 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

is one of those three men.” Abraham answered,
“Sarah, you have hit the truth; praised be God
for His wonders. Now I tell you that last night
when I was washing the feet of this man, I said to
myself, 4 Surely these are the feet that I washed long
ago under the oak-tree?’ And furthermore, he
shed tears, and they fell into the water and became
these pearls.” And he drew the pearls out of his
bosom and showed them to her, and she bowed her
head and praised God and said, 44 Be sure, Abraham,
that he is come to reveal some matter to us, whether
for evil or for good.”

Then Abraham left Sarah and went in and said
to Isaac, 44 Gome here, my child, and tell me what
you saw, and what caused you to come to us in
such haste?” And Isaac said, 44 It was this, father.
I saw in a dream this night the sun and the moon
upon my head, and the rays of the sun were all
about me and enlightened me, and I rejoiced in
them ; then I saw the heavens opening, and a shin¬
ing man, brighter than seven suns, came down ; and
he approached me and took the sun from off my
head and carried it up into heaven ; and again after
a little while, as I was sorrowing over it, he came
and took the moon from me. Then I was greatly
distressed, and I besought him, saying, 4 Nay, my
lord, do not take all my glory from me ; have pity

ABRAHAM

39

upon me ; if thou must needs take the sun, yet
leave me the moon/ But he said, 4 Suffer them
to be taken up to the King above, for He desires
them to be with Him/ So he took them away,
saying, 4 They are removed from toil unto rest,
and from darkness unto light/ But their glory he
left upon me. Then I awoke.” And Isaac ceased
speaking.

Then Michael said, 44 Hear me, righteous Abra¬
ham. The sun which Isaac saw is you, his father ;
the moon likewise is Sarah, his mother ; and the
shining one who came down out of heaven and took
them away is myself. And now be it known to you
that the time is come for you to leave this earthly
life and go to God.” But Abraham said, 44 Why,
here is a marvel indeed ! And are you the one ap¬
pointed to take my soul from me ? ” He answered,
44 1 am Michael, the captain of the host of God, and
I am sent to speak to you concerning your death.”
Then said Abraham, 44 1 know that you are an
angel of God, and that you are sent to take away
my soul. But I shall not follow you ! ”

When Michael heard that word he vanished
away from them and went up to the heavens and
stood before the Lord, and told Him what Abraham
had said ; and the Lord answered, 44 Return to Abra¬
ham My friend and speak yet again to him, Thus

40

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

saith the Lord : ‘ I brought thee out of thy father’s
house into the land of promise : I have blessed thee
and increased thee more than the sands of the sea¬
shore and more than the stars of heaven. Why dost
thou resist My decree? Knowest thou not that
Adam and Eve died, and all their offspring ; none
of the forefathers escaped death ; they are all of
them gone unto the place of spirits, all of them
have been gathered by the sickle of death. And I
have not suffered the angel of death to approach
thee : I have not permitted any evil disease to come
upon thee, but instead I have sent mine own prince
Michael to speak peaceably unto thee, that thou
mayest set thine house in order and bless thy son
Isaac and depart in peace ; and now thou sayest,
“ I will in nowise follow him.” Knowest thou
not that if I send Death unto thee, thou must needs
come whether thou wilt or no ? ’ ” So Michael re¬
turned to Abraham, and found him weeping, and
told him all these words ; and Abraham besought
him, saying, “Speak yet once again to my Lord
and say to Him, ‘ Thus saith Abraham Thy servant :
Lord, Thou hast been gracious to me all my life
long, and now, behold, I do not resist Thy word, for
I know that I am a mortal man ; but this one thing
I ask of Thee, that while I am yet in my body Thou
wouldst suffer me to see Thy world and all the

ABRAHAM

41

creatures that Thou hast made. Then shall I depart
out of this life without any trouble of mind/ ”
And Michael returned and spake all these words
before the Lord, and the Lord said, “Take a cloud
of light and angels that have power over the
chariots, and bear Abraham in the chariot of the
cherubim into the air of heaven and let him see
all the world before he dies.”

And it was done ; and Michael showed Abraham
all the regions of the world. He saw men ploughing
and carting, keeping flocks, dancing, sporting, and
playing the harp, wrestling, going to law, weeping,
dying, and being carried out to burial : even all
the things that are done in the earth, both good and
evil. And in one place they saw men with swords in
their hands, and Abraham asked Michael, “Who
are these ? ” And Michael said, “ These are thieves
who are going out to steal and to kill and to de¬
stroy.” Then Abraham said, “O that God would
hear me and send evil beasts out of the forest to
devour them ! ” And in that moment wild beasts
rushed out upon them and tore them to pieces.
Then in another place he saw men and women
feasting and drinking before their idols, and he
said, “O that the earth might open and swallow
them up ! ” And immediately it happened as he
had said. And in yet another place he saw men

42

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

breaking through the wall of a house to enter it
and rob it ; and he prayed again, and fire fell from
heaven and burnt them up. Then there came a
voice which said, “ Michael, prince of My host,
turn the chariot and bring Abraham back, lest, if
he sees any more of the sinners upon earth, he
destroy the whole race of men. For he is a righte¬
ous man, and has no compassion upon sinners.
But I created the world, and I would not have
any perish. Bring Abraham therefore to the enter¬
ing in of the gate of heaven, that he may see the
judgment and the recompensing of men, and may
have pity upon the souls whom he has blotted
out.”

Michael therefore turned the chariot and brought
Abraham across the great river of Ocean to the en¬
tering in of the gate of heaven, and showed him the
judgments. And Abraham saw the narrow gate of
life and the broad gate of destruction, and between
the gates he saw our father Adam sitting upon a
throne, and clad in a glorious robe of many colours ;
and he saw how Adam lamented when the souls went
in through the broad gate, and how he rejoiced when
they attained to the narrow gate, and how his
weeping exceeded his rejoicing. Moreover, Michael
showed him how the souls of men are examined
concerning their works and how their acts are re-

ABRAHAM

43

corded and weighed. But when he saw how hard
it is to enter in at the strait gate, it repented him
that he had prayed for the punishment of the
sinners, and he said to Michael, “ O prince of
the host, let us entreat the Lord that He would
have mercy upon the souls of the men whom I
cursed in my anger ; for now I know that I sinned
before God when I prayed against them.” Then
they both prayed earnestly to God ; and after a
long time there came a voice saying, “ Abraham, I
have heard thy prayer, and I have given back life
to the men whom thou didst destroy.”

Moreover, the voice bade Michael take Abraham
back to his house. And when he was come thither,
he went up to the great chamber, and sat upon the
couch ; and Sarah and Isaac came and fell on his
neck, and all his servants gathered about him, re¬
joicing at his return. And Michael said, “ Hearken,
Abraham : here is Sarah your wife and Isaac your
son, and here are all your manservants and maid¬
servants about you. Now therefore set in order your
house and bless them, and make ready to depart with
me, for your hour is come.” Abraham answered,
“Did the Lord command you to say this, or
do you say it of yourself?” Michael said, “The
Lord commanded me, and I give the message to
you.” Yet for all that Abraham answered, “ I will

44

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

not follow you.” So Michael went forth and stood
before the Most High again and told him the words
of Abraham; and he said besides, “I cannot lay
hands upon him, for there is not his like upon the
earth, no, not even the righteous Job. Tell me
therefore, Lord, what I must do.”

And God said, “Gall Death, and bid him come
hither.” Michael went and found Death, and said
to him, “Gome, for the Lord of all things, the
Immortal King, calleth for thee.” And Death
trembled and feared exceedingly when he heard
that ; but he followed Michael and came and stood
before the Lord, quivering and shaking with fear,
awaiting the commands of his Master. And God
said to him, “Hide thy hideous appearance, cover
up thy corruption, put away from thee all thy
terror, and put on a glorious and beautiful aspect,
and go down to Abraham My friend and take him
and bring him to Me : only see that thou make him
not afraid, but bring him peaceably, for he is My
friend.” So Death went forth from the presence
of God, and made himself like an angel of light,
beautiful to look upon, and departed to seek
Abraham. Now Abraham had come down from
his chamber and was sitting under the trees of
Mamre, leaning his head upon his hand, expecting
the return of Michael the archangel. And suddenly

ABRAHAM

45

he was aware of a sweet perfume, and of a light
shining near him ; and he turned round and saw
Death coming towards him in a form of great glory
and beauty, and rose to meet him, supposing him
to be an angel of God. And they greeted one
another, and Abraham said, “Whence come you
to me, and who are you ? ” Death answered,
“Abraham, I tell you the truth: I am the bitter
cup of death.” Abraham said, “Rather you are
the beauty of the world ; a fairer than you I have
never seen, and how say you, ‘ I am the bitter cup
of death’?” He answered, “I have told you the
truth ; the name by which God named me is that
which I have spoken.” Abraham said, “And why
have you come to this place?” Death answered,
“I am come to take your soul, O righteous one.”
Abraham said, “I hear what you say, but I shall
not come with you.” But Death was silent and
answered him not a word.

Then Abraham rose up and went towards his
house : and Death followed him. And he went up
into his chamber : and Death went with him ;
and he laid himself on his bed : and Death came
and sat by his feet. And Abraham said, “Go,
depart from me : I wish to rest here on my couch.”
Death answered, “I shall not depart till I have
taken thy soul from thy body.” Abraham said,

46

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

“I adjure thee by the living God: art thou in
very truth Death?” He said, “I am.” Then
said Abraham, “ Comest thou to all men in such a
beautiful shape as this ? ” He said, “ Nay, my lord
Abraham ; it is thy righteousness and thy good
deeds which make as it were a crown of glory upon
my head ; it is only to such as thou art that I come
thus peaceably, but to sinners I show myself much
otherwise.” “Show me then,” said Abraham, “in
what form thou comest to them : let me see all thy
fierceness and bitterness.” “ No,” said Death, “for
thou couldst not bear to look upon it.” “Verily, I
am able to bear it,” he said, “ for the strength of the
God of heaven is with me.”

Then Death let fall from him all his beauty,
and Abraham saw him as he was. And where
there had been a shining angel, he saw a cloud of
darkness, and in it the shapes of horrible wild beasts
and all unclean creatures ; and he saw the heads
of fiery dragons, and flames of consuming fire dart¬
ing out ; and he seemed to see a dreadful precipice
before him, and then a rushing river, and flashes
of lightning, and crackling of thunder, and there¬
after a tempestuous raging sea ; and again weapons
brandished, and venomous basilisks and serpents,
and bowls of poison ; and there came a horrible
odour, so that all the servants of Abraham that

ABRAHAM 47

were in the chamber fainted and died, and Abraham
himself swooned and his senses left him.

When he came to himself, Death had hidden
his terrible aspect and put on his beautiful form
again. And Abraham saw his servants lying dead,
and said to Death, “How is it that thou hast slain
these?” And Death said, “They died at the sight
of my countenance, and in truth it is a marvel that
thou also didst not die with them.” “Yea,” said
Abraham, “now I know how it was that I came
by this faintness of spirit that is upon me ; but
I pray thee, Death, inasmuch as these have been
cut off before their time, let us entreat God that
he would raise them up again.” So Abraham and
Death prayed together ; and the spirit of life re¬
turned into the servants that had been killed, and
they rose up again. After that Abraham conversed
with Death.

Then Sarah and Isaac came in and talked
with Abraham as he lay on his bed. And
Abraham said to Death, “I beseech thee, depart
from me for a little, for since I looked upon
thee weakness is come upon me, and my breath
labours and my heart is troubled.” Then said
Death, “Kiss my right hand and thy strength will
return to thee, and thou wilt be filled with joy.”
So Abraham kissed the hand of Death, and the

48

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

soul of Abraham clave to the hand of Death and
left his body ; and straightway Michael was there
and a multitude of angels with him, and they accom¬
panied the holy soul of Abraham and brought it
into the heavens into the presence of the Most
High, there to abide everlastingly in gladness and
brightness in the place from which all sorrow and
sighing are fled away.

THE STORY OF ASENETH,
JOSEPH’S WIFE

THE STORY OF ASENETH,
JOSEPH’S WIFE

I

There was once a great man named Potipherah,
who was high priest of the city of On in Egypt ;
and he and his wife had no children. One day
he went into the temple to offer sacrifice, as was
his custom. He went alone, and when he entered
the great courtyard of the temple, in the middle
of which stood the altar, he was astonished to see
a little child lying upon the altar. Without waiting
to offer his sacrifice, he hurried back to his wife.
“What is the matter,” said she, “that you come
back so hastily ? ” “I have seen a wonderful
thing,” he said; “the gods have given us a child.
The gates of the temple were locked, so that no
one could get into the court ; yet there is a child
there, lying on the altar!” “What say you?”
said his wife; “what can be the meaning of it?”
So they both hastened to the temple, and when
Potipherah opened the door of the courtyard, they
saw, partly at least, how the wonder had happened ;
for now there was an eagle perched upon the altar
with its wings spread out over the child — it was a

52

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

little girl, quite newly born — to protect it. They
guessed that it was the eagle that had brought the
child, but, of course, they could not tell whose
it was. It was wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and
these Potipherah’s wife kept carefully by her ; for
she thought the time might come when they might
be recognised by the parents of the little child;
and indeed, years afterwards, this proved to be
the case.

In the meantime Potipherah and his wife kept
the child and brought her up, and treated her as
their daughter ; and they called her Aseneth.

She grew up to be very beautiful ; she was
quite unlike an Egyptian girl, and might have been
taken for a Hebrew maiden : tall as Sarah and
lovely as Rebekah or Rachel ; so beautiful, in
fact, that all the sons of the princes and nobles
of Egypt were in love with her, and even the
son of King Pharaoh himself said to his father,
“Give me Aseneth, the daughter of Potipherah,
to wife.” But Pharaoh said, “Nay, my son, she
is not of your rank ; you must marry a queen ;
remember, the daughter of the King of Moab is
affianced to you.”

But besides being very beautiful, Aseneth was
exceedingly proud. There was not a man of all
the young nobles whom she would hear of, much

THE STORY OF ASENETH

53

less look at. Indeed, hardly any man in Egypt
except her own father had ever seen her face ;
for she lived apart with the maidens who waited
on her, in a lofty tower which her father had built
specially for her. It was really a noble palace, with
ten great rooms, one over the other. The first room
was paved with porphyry and lined with slabs of
coloured marbles, and the roof was of gold : and
it was a kind of chapel for Aseneth. It had golden
and silver images of all the gods of Egypt, and
Aseneth worshipped them and burnt incense to them
every day. The second chamber was Aseneth’s
own. In it were all her jewels and rich robes and
fine linen. In the third were stored the provisions
of the house and every delicious fruit or sweetmeat
that could be got from any part of the world. The
other seven chambers belonged to the seven maidens
who lived with Aseneth and tended her. They
were all of one age, and as fair as the stars of
heaven, and Aseneth loved them dearly.

But to come back to Aseneth’s own chamber,
which was the most splendid of all. It had three
windows, one looking out upon the garden of the
tower towards the east, and another towards the
south, and the third towards the high-road. Oppo¬
site the eastern window stood a golden bed, with
a coverlet woven of gold and purple and fine linen.

54

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

And no one but Aseneth herself had ever even sat
upon that bed, so magnificent and so sacred was it.

Besides all this, the tower had all around it a
garden with a high wall of squared blocks of stone.
The gates (there were four of them) were of iron,
and each was guarded by eighteen stalwart men
in armour. The garden itself was full of shady
trees, bearing splendid fruit ; and there was a
springing fountain at one side of it, whose water
ran first into a marble trough, and then out of
that into a stream which watered all the garden
and kept it fresh and green.

Here Aseneth lived until she was eighteen
years old, beautiful and proud and caring for no
one except her father and mother and her seven
maidens. Now the year in which she became
eighteen was the first of the seven years of
plenty, of which King Pharaoh had dreamt in
the dream of the seven cows and the seven ears
of corn, which is written in the Bible. And Joseph
was now travelling over all the land of Egypt to
gather together corn to store up against the seven
years of famine which were to follow the seven
of plenty. And upon a certain day in harvest-time,
Potipherah and his wife, who had been away at
an estate which they possessed in the country,
returned to the city of On; and no sooner had

THE STORY OF ASENETH

55

they done so than they received a message from
Joseph, saying, “Let me come and rest at your
house during the heat of the day.” Whereupon
Potipherah was greatly rejoiced, and thanked the
gods for the honour which Joseph did him by visiting
him, and ordered a great banquet to be prepared.

Just at this time, Aseneth, who had heard that
her father and mother were returned, came to
meet them. She had put on her most beautiful
robe, of linen woven with gold, and a golden
girdle, and necklace and bracelets of precious
stones upon which were engraved the names of
the gods of Egypt. And she had a golden diadem
on her head, and over it a delicate veil. She
hastened to meet her father and mother, and they
rejoiced at her wonderful beauty, and made her
sit by them, and showed her the gifts they had
brought to her from the country — grapes and figs,
pomegranates and fresh dates, and young doves
and quails for her to tame, to her great delight.
Then her father said to her, “My child, sit here
with us: I want to speak to you.” So she sat
down between her father and mother, and her
father took her hand and kissed her, and said,
“My darling child, do you know that Joseph,
the lord of all this land, the man who is going to
save the country from the famine that is coming,

56 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

the man whom Pharaoh trusts and honours above
all others, is coming to this house to-day? What
would you say if I were to offer to give you in
marriage to him, to live happily with him for the
rest of your life ? ”

Then Aseneth was very angry ; she blushed as
red as fire, and darted an ugly glance at her father
sideways, and said, “How can you talk to me so,
father? Would you give me to a creature like that,
the son of a Canaanitish labourer, who has been in
prison — yes, and sold as a slave — and only got out
of prison because he contrived to explain a dream
of Pharaoh’s, for all the world like the old women ?
Certainly not ! If I marry any one it will be Pharaoh’s
eldest son.” So Potipherah, disappointed as he was,
said no more ; and Aseneth hurried away to her own
chamber. But she looked out of the window.

As she went out, there ran in a young man, one
of Potipherah’s servants, and said, “ My lord, Joseph
is just stopping before our gates.” So Potipherah
and his wife and all their retinue rose and went
forth to meet Joseph ; and the gates of the court
towards the east were thrown open, and the chariot
drove in, drawn by four milk-white horses with
harness of gold ; and in the chariot stood Joseph, clad
in a tunic of white linen and a blood-red mantle shot
with gold. On his head was a crown with twelve

THE STORY OF ASENETH

57

great gems, and above each gem was a ray of gold ;
in his hand was an olive branch with leaves and
fruit. But fairer than all his equipment was his
face, for he was more beautiful than any of the sons
of men. And just as all the young nobles of Egypt
were mad about Aseneth, so all the ladies of
Egypt were in love with Joseph ; but he had not
a word to say to any of them, for they were all
worshippers of idols, and Joseph worshipped the
true God — the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

So the chariot entered the courtyard of Poti-
pherah’s palace, and the gates were shut. Now
Aseneth stood at her window, and when she saw
Joseph and the beauty of his countenance, she was
smitten to the heart, her knees trembled, and she
almost swooned. A great fear came upon her, and
she heaved a deep sigh and said, “Alas, alas, what
have I said ? what have I done ? Pity me, O God
of Joseph, for it was in ignorance that I spoke
against him. Did I not call him a Canaanitish
labourer’s son ? and lo, now he has come into our
house like the sun out of heaven. Fool that I was
to rail against him as I did ! If only my father
would give me to him as his slave and drudge, I
would serve him till I dropped dead at his feet.”

Meanwhile Joseph, who had caught sight of
Aseneth standing at her window, had come into

58 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

the house, and they had washed his feet and set a
table for him by himself (for Joseph would not eat
with the Egyptians). And he said to Potipherah,
“Who was the woman whom I saw looking out
of the window when I came in ? Some stranger ?
If so, she must leave this house.” “ Nay, my lord,”
said Potipherah, “she is our daughter.” And he
went on to tell how Aseneth disliked the company
of men, and indeed had hardly seen a strange man
before that day ; and Joseph was glad to hear that
she hated strange men, and said, “If she be your
daughter, I will love her from this day forth as a
sister.”

Accordingly, Aseneth’s mother went and fetched
Aseneth, and she greeted Joseph, and he her.
Then said Potipherah, “Gome near, my child, and
kiss your brother.” But when she drew near,
Joseph put out his hand and thrust her away, and
spoke thus: “It is not right for one who worships
the living God, and eats the bread of life and drinks
the cup of immortality, to kiss one that praises with
her lips dead idols, and eats the bread of death
from their tables and drinks the cup of deceit.”
At these harsh words Aseneth was bitterly grieved :
she shrank back and looked piteously at Joseph,
and her eyes filled with tears; and when he saw
how hurt she was, Joseph, who was full of kindness,

THE STORY OF ASENETH

59

raised his hand over her head and blessed her,
praying that God, who gives life to all and brings
us out of darkness into light, might give life and
light to her soul, and number her among His chosen
people, and bring her into the everlasting rest which
He has promised to them. So Aseneth went back
to her chamber, full of mingled joy and sorrow ;
and she cast herself down on her bed and wept.
And that same evening Joseph left the house of
Potipherah and set forth on his journey again.
“But,” said he, “I will come back to you in eight
days’ time.” Potipherah also and his wife and their
servants went back to their country house ; and
Aseneth and her seven maidens were left alone.
And the sun went down and all was quiet.

II

When everyone else in the tower was asleep,
Aseneth, who had remained weeping on her bed,
rose up stealthily and crept downstairs to the gate
of the tower, where the woman who kept the door
was asleep with her children ; and as quietly as she
could she unhooked the heavy leather curtain that
hung in the doorway, and spreading it out on the
floor, heaped up upon it all the cinders and ashes
out of the hearth, folded the corners together,

60

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

dragged it upstairs and threw it down on the floor.
Then she barred the door of her room securely, and
burst into bitter weeping. It so happened that the
maiden whom Aseneth loved the best of all her
seven companions was awake, and heard the sounds
of crying. She was alarmed, and flew to wake
up the other attendants, and all of them came to the
door of Aseneth’s chamber, which was locked and
barred. They called to her, “What is the matter,
dear mistress ? Open to us and let us come in and
comfort you.” But Aseneth answered from within,
“ It is nothing but a violent headache. I am in bed,
and too tired and ill to get up and open the door.
Go back all of you to your beds. I shall be well
to-morrow.” So they dispersed to their rooms.

And when they were safely gone, Aseneth got up
and opened the door of the room in which she kept
her dresses and jewels, taking care to make no noise ;
and from among all her robes she chose out a black
one which she had worn, years before, when the only
son of Potipherah had died. And she cast off* her
royal robe and her diadem and veil and girdle, and
put on the black robe and girded it with a rope.
Next she went to the shrine wherein stood all the
golden and silver images of her gods, and took
them and threw them out of the window for the
wayfarers to pick up ; and she took the supper

THE STORY OF ASENETH

61

that had been laid out for her of all manner of
delicate meats, and threw that into the highway
for the dogs to eat. And she emptied the ashes
out of the leather curtain upon the floor ; she let
down her hair and cast some of the ashes upon
her head ; she smote her breast and wept ; and
thus she sat in silence and misery till seven days
and nights were accomplished.

And on the morning of the eighth day, when it
was just dawning, and the birds had begun to twitter
in the trees of the garden, and the dogs to bark at
the passers-by, Aseneth raised herself a little from
her crouching posture among the ashes and turned
herself to the window that looked towards the east.
She was faint and ill and weary from her long
fasting and watching ; her tongue was dry as horn,
her eyes were glazed, and her fair face was haggard.
She bent her head down and clasped her hands
together, and crouched down again among the ashes,
and said to herself, “It is all over. I have no one
to turn to now. My father and mother will cast
me off, for I have dishonoured their gods ; they will
say, ‘Aseneth is no daughter of ours.’ My kindred
will hate me, and all the youths whom I have
despised and rejected will rejoice at my humiliation ;
and Joseph will have nothing to say to me because
I am a foul worshipper of idols. Yet,” she went

62

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

on to say, “I have heard that the God of the
Hebrews is a merciful God, long-suffering and com¬
passionate, not hard upon those that have sinned
ignorantly, if they are sorry for what they have
done. Why should I not turn to Him? Who
knows if He will not have pity upon my loneliness
and protect me? For they say He is the Father
of the fatherless, and cares for those who are in
trouble.” So she rose and knelt upon her knees,
with her face turned towards the east, and looked
up into heaven and prayed. “Save me,” she said,
“from those who are pursuing me, before I am
caught by them ; as a little child when it is frightened
runs to its father, and the father stretches out his
arms and catches it to his breast, so I flee to Thee.
I know that Satan, the Old Lion, is hunting me ; for
he is the father of the gods of Egypt, and I have
insulted them and destroyed their images. I have
no hope but in Thee. See, I have cast off all my
beautiful robes and ornaments ; I sit here in sack¬
cloth and ashes ; I have fasted and wept these seven
days, because I know that I have done wrong in
worshipping dumb idols, and in speaking scornfully
against Joseph. But, Lord, I did it in ignorance ;
save me, and above all watch over Joseph, whom I
love more than my own life. Keep him, Lord, in
safety, and let me be his handmaid and his slave,

THE STORY OF ASENETH 63

if Thou wilt, so that I may minister to him all the
days I have to live.”

Much more did Aseneth say in her prayer, but
it is not written down here. When she had ended,
the morning star was just coming up in the east,
and Aseneth rejoiced when she saw it and said,
“Can it be that God has heard my prayer, and
that this star is the herald of the light of the great
day?” Then, in that part of the sky where the
star was shining, there opened a little cleft in the
heavens, and a bright light shone out of it : so
dazzling that she fell on her face upon the ashes.
And in the next instant there stood over her a
man who was all flashing with light ; and he called
to her, “ Aseneth, rise up.” “ Who can this be who
calls me?” she said; “my door is barred and the
tower is high. No one can have come into my
chamber.” So she did not look up ; but the man
called to her again, “Aseneth, Aseneth!” And at
last she answered, “ Here am I, lord : tell me, who
art thou?” He answered, “ I am the Prince of all
the army of heaven ; rise up and stand on your
feet, and hear my words.” Then for the first time
she looked at him, and saw that he was in all
things like Joseph, with royal robe, and crown and
sceptre ; but his face, and hair, and hands and feet
were bright like the sun, and his eyes pierced like

64

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

lightning ; and again she was afraid, and fell on her
face. But he said, “Do not be afraid; hear what
I am come to say to you.” Thereupon she rose
and stood up, weak as she was ; and he bade her
go into her inner chamber and put off her black
robe, and the sackcloth and ashes, and bathe her¬
self in clear water, and array herself in the noblest
of her robes, and come back to him.

Now when this was done, and she had returned
to him, fresh and beautiful as formerly, he spoke
kindly to her, and blessed her and said, “God
has heard your prayer : He has looked upon your
sorrow and tears, and has forgiven your sin. Be
of good cheer, for your name is written in the
Book of Life, and shall no more be blotted out.
From this day forth you shall eat the bread of life
and drink the cup of immortality, and be anointed
with the oil of joy. And a new name shall be
given you, even the name of the City of Refuge ;
for as you have come to God for refuge, many
shall in like manner come to Him through your
example by repentance. And now, behold, this day
I shall go to Joseph, and tell him that which has
befallen you, and he shall come to you this very
day and make you his bride. Make ready there¬
fore and array yourself in the bridal robe that is
laid up in your chamber, and put upon you all

THE STORY OF ASENETH 65

your elect ornaments, and prepare yourself to meet
him.”

When Aseneth heard this joyful news, she fell
on her face at the feet of the messenger and gave
thanks to God; and, said she, 44 My lord, stay yet
a little while, I pray you, and sit upon this couch,
and I will set a table before you, and bread, and
you shall eat ; and I will bring you wine old and
fragrant, and you shall drink, and so go on your
way.” For she did not know that it was an angel
who had come to her. And he said, 46 1 will do so :
hasten therefore and make ready.”

So first she set before him a table ; and as she
was going to fetch the bread he said to her, 44 Bring a
honeycomb also.” But at this she stopped, and was
troubled in her mind, for she knew that there was
no honeycomb in her store-room. 44 Why do you
stop ? ” said the angel. 44 Sir,” she answered, 44 let
me send a boy to the farm which is near by, and he
shall fetch you a honeycomb in a moment.” 44 No,”
said he, “you need only go into your store-room,
and you will find one upon the table ; bring that
to me.” “Sir,” she answered, 44 1 know that there
is none there.” But he said, 44 Go and you will find
it.” She went therefore and found the honey¬
comb, as he had said ; it was large, and as white
as snow, and full of honey, and the smell of it

E

66

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

was as the breath of life. She wondered greatly,
but she would not delay, and she brought it out
and put it on the table before the angel. Then
he called her to him, and as she moved towards
him he stretched out his right hand over her
head, and again she was afraid, for she saw sparks
and flashes of fire coming from it, as if it were of
heated iron ; so that she gazed upon him earnestly
in astonishment. But he smiled and said, “You
are blessed, Aseneth, for you have seen some of
the secret things of God ; it is of this honeycomb
that the angels eat in Paradise, and the bees of
Paradise have made it of the dew of the roses of
life in the garden of God ; and whosoever tastes
it shall not die for ever.” Then he put forth his
right hand and took a piece of the honeycomb,
and tasted it, and gave a portion to Aseneth, and
she ate it; and he said, “Now you have received
the food of life, and your youth shall know no
old age, and your beauty shall never fade.” And
again he stretched forth his right hand and drew
his finger across the honeycomb from the east side
of it to the west, and from the north side to the
south, and where his finger touched it there was
left a track of the colour of blood. And imme¬
diately there came out of the honeycomb a multi¬
tude of bees. They were white like snow, and

THE STORY OF ASENETH

67

their wings were purple and scarlet, and they
swarmed about Aseneth and made honey upon
her lips. Among them there were some that made
as though they would have stung her, but these the
angel rebuked, and they fell to the ground dead.
But after a while the angel said to the bees,“ Go to
your place,” and at that they rose up in a swarm
and flew out of the window and up into the sky.
Then he touched with his rod the dead bees upon
the floor, and said to them, 4 ‘Go ye also to
your place,” and they came to life and flew out
of the window, and settled upon the trees in the
garden of Aseneth. And for the third time he
stretched out his hand and touched the honeycomb
upon the table, and straightway there burst forth
a flame, and consumed the honeycomb — but upon
the table it left no mark — and the sweet smell of
the burning filled all the chamber.

Then said Aseneth, “Sir, I have seven com¬
panions, maidens who have been brought up with
me, and I love them as sisters : may I not call
them, and you shall bless them as you have blessed
me?” So she called them in, and made them
stand before the angel, and he blessed them ; and
thereafter he said to Aseneth, “Take away the
table.” And as she turned aside to lift it, he was
gone. But through the window she saw in the sky

68

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

a chariot and four horses shining like fire, going into
the heavens towards the east, and the angel stand¬
ing in the chariot. Then she said, “Ah, foolish
that I am ! I knew not that it was an angel out of
heaven that came into my chamber, and now, be¬
hold, he is going back into heaven to his own place.
Pardon me, my lord, and spare thy handmaid,
for it was in ignorance that I spoke so boldly
before thee ! ”

While she was still wondering, there came in
a messenger and said, “Joseph, the mighty one
of God, is on his way hither.” And immediately
Aseneth sent for the steward of the palace and
bade him prepare a great banquet, and make all
things ready ; but she herself, remembering the
words of the angel, went into her inner chamber
and adorned herself as a bride, in shining robes,
and upon her head she put a crown of gold which
had in the midst, over her forehead, a great jacinth
stone and six other precious stones round it ; and
she covered her head with a veil of wonderful
beauty. Then she called to one of her maidens, who
brought her a basin of pure water, and when she
saw the reflection of her face in the water she was
astonished at the beauty and freshness and bright¬
ness of it. Just then the steward of the palace
came in to say that all was ready, and he too was

THE STORY OF ASENETH

69

struck with amazement at the sight of her, and
said, 44 Lady, what is the cause of this wonderful
beauty? Gan it be that the God of heaven has
chosen you to be the bride of Joseph, His elect?”
And while he was yet speaking, the sound of
Joseph’s chariot-wheels was heard without.

Then Aseneth hastened and went down to meet
Joseph, and her seven maidens followed her, and
they all stood in the porch of the palace. And
when Joseph saw Aseneth he also marvelled, and
said, “Who art thou, maiden?” And she an¬
swered, “Thy handmaid Aseneth ; and I have cast
away all my idols and they are gone.” And she
went on and told him of the coming of the angel
to her. And he rejoiced. Then they came near
and embraced one another, and she led him into
her father’s house and made him sit on her father’s
throne; and Joseph said, “Let one of the maidens
come and wash my feet.” But Aseneth said, “ No ;
from henceforth I am your handmaid : your hands
are my hands, your feet are my feet, and your
soul is my soul : none other shall wash your feet
but I.” So she compelled him, and washed his
feet. And after that he kissed her again, and made
her sit down beside him, on his right hand.

And as they were talking together, Potipherah
and his wife and their household entered the palace,

70

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

having returned from the country ; and they were
amazed, and rejoiced at the sight of Joseph and
Aseneth. And when they learnt all that had hap¬
pened, they rejoiced yet more ; and Potipherah said,
44 To-morrow I will call together all my kinsfolk
and prepare your marriage feast.” But Joseph said,
44 Nay, but I will first go to Pharaoh and speak to
him concerning Aseneth, that I may take her to
wife ; for he is to me as a father.”

So on the next day Joseph departed to see
Pharaoh, and forthwith Pharaoh sent for Poti¬
pherah and his wife and Aseneth ; and in their
presence he blessed Aseneth, and joined her hand
with the hand of Joseph, and crowned them with
golden crowns, and made a great feast for them
lasting seven days ; and all the land of Egypt re¬
joiced. So Joseph and Aseneth were married ; and
after that two sons were born to them, even
Ephraim and Manasseh, in the house of Joseph.

Ill

Now when the seven years of plenty were over,
the years of famine began, and Jacob and his sons
came to dwell in Egypt in the land of Goshen, as
it is told in the Bible. Then Aseneth said to Joseph,
“Let me go and see your father and greet him.”

THE STORY OF ASENETH

71

So Joseph brought her to Jacob, and his brethren
met him and did him obeisance at the door of the
house, and they entered in. And when they saw
Jacob, who was sitting upon his bed, Aseneth was
struck with amazement at the sight of him, for he was
noble to look upon. His head was white as snow,
his beard was long, flowing over his bosom, his eyes
were bright and flashing, and his muscles and limbs
were those of a giant. And Aseneth fell on her
face before him ; and Israel said, “ Is this thy wife,
my son Joseph? Blessed shall she be of the Most
High God.” Then he called her to him, and she
fell on his breast and he kissed her, and they re¬
joiced together. After that he inquired of her con¬
cerning her parents ; and Aseneth told him how an
eagle had brought her and laid her upon the altar
of the temple of On ; and she showed him the
swaddling-clothes in which she had been wrapped.
And Jacob knew that they belonged to his own
daughter Dinah ; and thus it was made known to
him that Aseneth was of his own race, and he was
the more glad.

And when they departed from him, Simeon and
Levi accompanied them with the other sons of Leah
and Rachel ; but the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah
would not go with them, for they hated Joseph.
And of all Joseph’s brethren, Aseneth loved Levi

72

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

the most, for he was a prophet and a seer, and
could read the signs of the stars of heaven.

Now it happened that as they were on their way
to visit Jacob, the eldest son of Pharaoh was on the
city wall, and he saw Aseneth and loved her imme¬
diately, and could think of nothing but how he
might make away with Joseph and take Aseneth
for his own wife. And after a few days he sent
secretly to Simeon and Levi, and said to them, “I
know that you are mighty men, and that with your
two swords alone you defeated the men of Shechem
and overthrew their city. I have sent for you
because I wish to make you my friends, and, if you
will do what I ask you, I will give you riches
and lands and houses — in a word, all that you can
desire. Now what I would have you do is this.
You must know that I have been bitterly wronged
by your brother Joseph : he has married Aseneth,
who was betrothed to me long ago. Join with me
therefore and help me to kill him, and I will take
Aseneth to wife, and you shall be my brothers. If
you refuse, I will slay you.” And with these
words he drew his sword and flourished it at them.
At this Simeon, who was a man of hot temper, was
enraged, and would have drawn his own sword
and cut down the prince ; but Levi, who could read
his thoughts, trod upon his foot and made signs to

THE STORY OF ASENETH

73

him to be quiet, and whispered, 44 Why be angry with
this fellow? We are God-fearing men, and must
not render evil for evil.” Then Levi said calmly
and mildly to Pharaoh’s son, 4 6 Why does my lord
speak thus to his servants? We can do no such
wickedness against our brother and against our
God. Let us hear no more such evil words ; but,
if you will not be persuaded, know that our swords
will be drawn against you.” With that both the
brothers drew their swords, and when the son of
Pharaoh saw them he crouched upon the ground
in terror, for they flashed like flames of lire and
dazzled his eyes. But Levi said, 44 Get up and do
not be frightened : only take care that you say
nothing more of this kind against our brother
Joseph.” And they went forth from his presence.

But he could not restrain himself, for he was
half-mad with anger and fear and with love of
Aseneth. And after some days his servants said to
him, 44 Do you know that the sons of Bilhah and
Zilpah are at enmity with Joseph and Aseneth?
They will do all that you ask of them.” So he sent
for them, for Dan and Gad and Naphtali and
Asher, and they came to him in the first hour of
the night ; and after he had greeted them he sent
away his servants, and said to the brethren, 44 Listen
to me. Life and death are before you ; choose

74

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

which you will have : will you die like women or
fight like men? I overheard your brother Joseph
saying to my father Pharaoh, 4 Dan and Gad and
Naphtali and Asher are no brethren of mine ; they
are the sons of my father’s handmaids, and I am only
waiting till my father dies to make an end of them
and their families. It was they who sold me to the
Xshmaelites, and I am going to repay it into their
bosom.’ And my father said, 4 It is well spoken :
you have leave to take any of my bodyguard and
deal with them as you will.’ ” Then Dan and Gad
and their brothers were sorely troubled, and they
said, 44 O sir, help us, and we will be your servants
for ever.” And he said, 44 1 will. Hear me now:
this night I will kill my father Pharaoh — for he is
the helper of Joseph — and do you for your part
slay Joseph. Then I will take Aseneth to wife,
and you shall be my brethren and joint heirs
with me in the kingdom.” So they said, 44 We
will do so, and thus it shall be : we heard Joseph
say to Aseneth that she should go to-morrow into
the vineyard, for it is the time of vintage. We
therefore will go this night into the bed of the
river and hide among the reeds ; and do you take
with you fifty archers upon horses, and go on before.
Then will Aseneth come and fall into our ambush,
and we will kill the men that are with her, and she

THE STORY OF ASENETH

75

will flee in her chariot and fall into your hands, and
you shall do to her as seems good to you. As for
Joseph, while he is mourning for Aseneth we will
kill him ; but first we will slay his children before
his face.” And Pharaoh’s son rejoiced greatly, and
sent them forth with a great body of mighty men,
and they went and hid themselves in four companies
among the reeds of the river on either side of the
road.

Yet Naphtali and Asher murmured against their
elder brothers Dan and Gad, saying, “To what
purpose are you conspiring again ? Did you not sell
Joseph for a slave before, and, lo ! he is become lord
over all Egypt ? Now therefore, if you imagine evil
against him, he will call upon God, and fire will
come down out of heaven and devour you, and the
angels of God will fight against you.” But their
elder brothers were angry and said, “What then
would you have ? Are we to die like women ? Not
so ! ” And the counsel of Naphtali and Asher did
not prevail with them.

In the same night the son of Pharaoh rose up
and went to his father’s chamber with intent to slay
him, as he had promised ; but when he came to the
door the guards stopped him and said, “ What is my
lord’s will ? ” He said, “ I desire to see my father,
for I am going away to-morrow to visit my vine-

76

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

yard which I have newly planted.” And they
said, “ Your father is ill and has not slept until now,
and he gave us commandment that no man should
come into his chamber, no, not if it were his firstborn
son.” So he went away in a rage, and took fifty
archers with him on horses and went on before, as
Dan and Gad had said.

Aseneth also arose early in the morning and said
to Joseph, “Lo, I go to the vineyard as you ap¬
pointed ; but my soul is troubled greatly at being
parted from you.” But Joseph said, “Be of good
cheer ; the Lord is with you and will keep you as
the apple of an eye. As for me, I go to distribute
corn to the people of the land, that no man in
Egypt may perish of hunger.” So Aseneth went
her way ; and as she came to the place of the
ambush by the river, the men that were in hiding
rushed out upon her, and slew all the guard that
were with her, even six hundred soldiers and fifty
runners ; and Aseneth fled away upon her chariot.

Now Levi, though he was afar off, saw in the
spirit what was being done — for he was a seer — and
told his brethren of the peril of Aseneth ; and they
girded every man his sword upon his thigh, and
took up their shields and their spears and ran
swiftly after Aseneth.

And as she fled on before, suddenly she saw the

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THE STORY OF ASENETH

77

son of Pharaoh in the way, and the horsemen that
were with him. Then was Aseneth in great fear,
and she called upon the name of her God.

But Benjamin was in the chariot with her. Now
he was a lad of nineteen years, beautiful exceedingly,
and strong as a lion’s whelp. And when he saw
the men, he leapt down from the chariot and caught
up a round stone out of the brook and threw it at
the son of Pharaoh, and smote him on the left
temple, so that he fell from his horse half-dead.

Then Benjamin leapt up upon a rock by the way-
side, and called to the driver of the chariot, “Give
me stones out of the river bed.” And he gave them ;
and with fifty stones Benjamin slew the fifty archers
that were with Pharaoh’s son ; every stone smote
a man on the temples.

Moreover, the sons of Leah, Reuben and Simeon,
Levi and Judah, Issachar and Zebulun, pursued
after the men that had laid wait for Aseneth, and
fell upon them suddenly and cut them to pieces ;
but the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah fled before them,
saying, “We are undone ; and now, behold, the son
of Pharaoh is dead, and all they that were with him.
Let us at least slay Aseneth and Benjamin, and flee
into the woods.” So they pursued after Aseneth, and
came upon her with their swords drawn and dripping
with blood. And she was greatly afraid, and said,

78

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

“ Lord God, who didst save me from false gods and
from the corruption of death, and didst say, ‘ Thy
soul shall live for ever,’ save me now from the
hands of these wicked men ! ” And God heard her
prayer, and straightway the swords of the men fell
out of their hands and crumbled into dust.

Then they were very sore afraid, saying, “The
Lord fighteth against us.” And they fell down on
their faces and besought Aseneth, saying, “We have
imagined evil against you, and the Lord hath
brought it back upon us. But now have pity upon
us, and save us from the wrath of our brethren.”
And she said, “ Go then and hide yourselves in the
reeds until I appease them and turn away their
anger. Only the Lord be judge betwixt me and
you.” Then they ran and hid among the reeds ;
and their brethren the sons of Leah came running
like harts to overtake them. And Aseneth lighted
down from her chariot and fell on their necks
weeping and rejoicing; and they said, “Where are
our brothers the sons of the handmaids?” that
they might kill them. But Aseneth said, “ I beseech
you, spare them, for the Lord saved me out of their
hands and broke their swords, and, behold, there
they lie, like wax melted before the fire. Let it
suffice you that the Lord hath fought against them
on our behalf, and spare them, for they are your

THE STORY OF ASENETH

79

brethren and the sons of your father Israel.” Then
said Simeon, 4 4 Why doth our sister say so? Nay,
but we will hew them in pieces with our swords, for
they have done evil against Joseph and against our
father and against thee also this day.” And Aseneth
took hold upon Simeon’s beard and kissed him, and
said, 44 Do not, my brother, in anywise render evil
for evil : the Lord shall judge between us ; and now,
see, they are fled afar off. Forgive them, there¬
fore, and spare their lives.” Then Levi came near
and kissed her right hand ; for he knew that his
brethren were in hiding among the reeds, but he
would not reveal it to the others lest they should
fall upon them ; and he loved Aseneth because she
would save them alive.

Now the son of Pharaoh, who was fallen from
his horse, began to recover himself, and sat up and
spat blood out of his mouth, for the blood ran down
from the wound on his temple into his mouth. And
Benjamin saw it, and ran and drew the sword of
the son of Pharaoh (for as yet Benjamin bare no
sword upon his thigh), and would have slain him ;
but Levi hasted and caught his hand, saying, 44 It
is not right for us that fear God to trample upon
him that is fallen, or to afflict our enemy to death.
Put back the sword into its place and help me, and
we will tend his wound, and if he lives he shall

80

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

be our friend.” Then Levi helped up the son of
Pharaoh from the ground, and washed the blood
from his face and bound up his wound with a
bandage, and put him upon his horse and took him
to Pharaoh his father, and told him all that had
happened. And Pharaoh rose up from his throne
and blessed Levi. But on the third day after, the
son of Pharaoh died of his wound.

And Pharaoh mourned sore for his firstborn
son, insomuch that he fell sick and died, being a
hundred and nine years old, and left his crown to
Joseph ; and Joseph reigned alone in Egypt forty
and eight years, and thereafter gave the kingdom
to the younger son of Pharaoh, who was a sucking
child when his father died. And thenceforth Joseph
was called the father of the king throughout all the
land of Egypt.

JOB

JOB

This is the story of the life of Job, taken out of
the book called The Testament of Job .

There came a day when Job felt that his end was
near ; and he called together his seven sons and his
three daughters, and said to them :

Gome near to me, my children, and I will tell
you the story of my life, and all the dealings of the
Lord with me. You must know, in the first place,
that before He gave me a new name, I was called
Jobab ; and that I come of the family of Isaac — for
I am one of the sons of Esau, Jacob’s brother.
Now, long ago, I used to dwell hard by the temple
of an idol, and every day I saw people coming
and bringing offerings, and burning sacrifices before
it. But as time went on, I could not believe that
this idol was indeed the God who made the heavens,
and the earth, and the sea, and us men. I pondered
much, therefore, upon this matter, saying, “How
shall I come to know the truth of it?”

Thereafter, as I lay upon my bed, in the middle

of the night, a bright light suddenly shone in my

83

84

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

chamber, and I heard a voice calling me, “ Jobab,
Jobab ! ” (and I answered, “ Here am I ”). And the
voice said, “ Rise up, and I will tell thee that which
I have to say. Verily, this idol to whom offerings
are brought, and wine poured out in libations, is not
a god, but is a work of the evil power whereby he
deceives the sons of men.” Then I bowed myself
down and said, “Lord, who hast come to enlighten
my soul, I beseech thee, give me leave to go and
cleanse this place that is polluted by the enemy, so
that offerings shall no more be made to him ; but,
indeed, who is there that can withstand me, seeing
that I am ruler over this country ? ”

The voice answered me out of the light, “Thou
canst indeed destroy that place ; but I must forewarn
thee of that which will ensue, according as I have
in hand to tell thee from the Lord.” And I
answered, “All that He commandeth thy servant
will I hear and do.” And the voice said again, “ If
thou takest upon thee to destroy this abode of
Satan’s, he will rise up and fight against thee ; he
will bring upon thee many plagues ; he will take
away all thy gods ; he will slay thy children. Only
he will not be able to take thy life. And, if thou
endurest to the end, thy name shall become famous
among all generations for ever ; and I will re¬
store thee to thy former estate, and recompense

JOB

85

thee double, and thou shalt rise up again in the
resurrection of the just. Be thou therefore like
a fighter who giveth blows and endureth them,
looking to win the crown of victory; and then
shalt thou know that the Lord is righteous, and
true, and mighty, giving strength to His chosen.”

And I, my children, answered him, “I will
verily endure even unto death, and will not draw
back.” Then the angel set a mark upon my
forehead, and departed from me ; and in the same
night I arose and gathered to me fifty of my
servants, and went and destroyed the temple of
the idol, laying it even with the ground. Then I
returned to my house, and commanded that the
doors should be made fast.

Hearken now, my children, and wonder ; for
as soon as I had come into my house, and had com¬
manded the doors to be shut, and had told the
keepers of the doors to say to any that came that
I was not at leisure to see them, Satan came, having
put on the appearance of a beggar, and said to
the maid that kept the door, “Tell Job that I
desire to speak with him.” She came to me, there¬
fore, and I told her again, “Tell him that I have
no leisure to see him.”

So Satan departed, and took on him another
form, and put a wallet on his shoulder, and returned

86

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

and said to the maid, “ Say to Job, ‘ Give me bread
from thine own hand, that I may eat.’” Then I
took a loaf that was burnt black and gave it to the
maid to give to him, saying, “ Look to eat no more
of my bread, for I am become a stranger to you.”
But the maid was ashamed to give him the burnt
bread, for she knew not who he was ; she took,
therefore, a good loaf of her own and gave it to him.
But he was aware of what had happened, and said
to her, “Go back, unfaithful servant, and fetch
me the bread that was given to you to give to me ! ”
And she wept and said, “You say well that I am an
unfaithful servant, for I have not done that which
I was commanded.” Then she brought him the
burnt bread, saying, “Thus says my master, ‘You
shall eat no more of my bread, for I am estranged
from you. This I give you only that you may not
have it to say that I refused to give aught to my
enemy when he asked of me.’” Satan took the
bread, and sent back the maid with this message,
“As this bread is burnt and blackened, so will I
make thy body ; in one hour I will lay thee and thy
house desolate.” And I answered him, “That thou
doest, do quickly ; for I am ready to bear what¬
soever thou canst bring upon me.”

Then Satan went up straightway under the firma¬
ment of the heaven, and asked of the Lord authority

JOB 87

over me and my possessions. And the Lord granted
it to him, but not at that time.

Now I must tell you, my children, of my manner
of life, and my goods that I had, before I was de¬
spoiled. I had 130,000 sheep, of which 7000 were
set apart for the clothing of the fatherless, and
widows, and poor ; and a pack of 800 dogs guarded
them. I had 9000 camels ; 3000 to traffic with the
cities of the earth, which I laded with good things,
and sent them out among the towns and villages, and
had their loads distributed to the poor. I had also
130,000 asses ; 500 of them were set apart that their
foals might be sold, and the price given to the poor.

Also the four gates of my house were always left
open to this end, that if any poor man came to beg,
and saw me sitting at one of the gates, he might not
turn back abashed, but might go round to another of
the gates, and enter in and receive what he needed.

Within the house also I had always thirty tables
ready prepared for the entertainment of strangers,
and other twelve tables appointed for the widows.
None left my house with his purse empty, and
whenever any came to ask help, he was constrained
first of all to sit down and dine. I had fifty bake¬
houses, and of these, twelve served the tables of
the poor.

And so it was that many strangers came to my

88

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

house, and some of them desired to follow my way
of life and minister to the poor, but they were in
need of money to furnish them therefor. And to
such men I freely lent the money, taking no security
of them, but only a written acknowledgment. And
sometimes they prospered in their merchandise and
gained money to give to the poor ; but sometimes
they failed and came back to me, saying, “Have
patience with us.” And thereupon I would destroy
the bill of their debt before them, and forgive them
that which they owed me.

Sometimes also there would come to me a man
of a kindly heart who would say, “I have not
wherewith to help the poor, but let me wait upon
them to-day at your table.” And at evening, when
he was departing, I used to say to him, “ I know that
you are a labouring man, and look to your wages.”
And so I paid him wages for the day and let
him go.

I had also psalteries and a ten-stringed lute, and
every day when the widows and the poor had dined
I would play to them and put them in mind of God,
that they should praise Him. And if ever my hand¬
maidens murmured at the work they had to do, I
took a psaltery and sang to them of the recompense
of the reward. And they were comforted, and
ceased from their murmuring.

JOB

89

As for my children, they took part every day in
the ministry, and after that they gathered together
in the house of their eldest brother, and feasted
there. But every morning I offered up sacrifices for
them, even thirty doves, fifty kids of the goats, and
twelve sheep, and a choice bullock. All of these,
after I had offered up prayer, I caused to be pre¬
pared for the poor, and gave to them, saying, 44 Take
these over and above that which you have had, and
pray for my children, lest they perchance have said
in their hearts, 4 We are the children of a wealthy
father, and these goods are ours. Wherefore should
we wait upon the poor and waste our substance in
this manner ? 9 ” For indeed pride is an abomination
unto the Lord.

Now this was my manner of life for seven years
after that the angel had come to me. But when
Satan had obtained from the Lord power against me,
he came down in great wrath ; and first he burnt up
the 7000 sheep, and 3000 camels, and 500 asses, and
500 yoke of oxen ; and the rest were carried away
by the men of the country to whom I had showed
kindness, but now they turned against me and
spoiled my goods. Then one came and told me,
and I gave glory to God, and said not a word
of complaint.

Satan therefore, when he saw how I took the

90

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

matter, devised yet more against me, and took on
him the likeness of the King of Persia, and came and
spake to all the worthless men of the country, saying,
“This man Jobab, who hath consumed all the good
of the land, and left nothing, giving it away to the
halt, and maimed, and blind, is the same that
destroyed the temple of the great god and laid
waste the place of offerings. It is time that he
should receive the reward of his deeds. Gome, fall
upon him and spoil his house.” But they said, “ He
hath seven sons and three daughters ; what if they
escape into other lands and accuse us of violence,
and return and slay us?” Satan answered,
“Trouble not yourselves for that. See, I have
consumed part of his goods with fire ; other part
have I carried off. I will take in hand his
children.”

And he departed, and cast down the house upon
my sons and daughters, and slew them all. And
when the men saw that he had spoken truth, they
came and plundered all that was in my house.
Mine eyes saw worthless and dishonourable men
on my couches and at my tables, and I could not
utter a word, for I was stricken weak, as a sick
woman. Nevertheless, I remembered the recom¬
pense of the reward ; and I accounted the loss of

JOB 91

my goods as nothing, if I might attain to that
city whereof the angel had spoken.

Then there came a messenger and told me,
44 Thy sons and thy daughters are dead.” And verily
I was greatly troubled, and rent my clothes. Yet
I said, 44 The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken
away : as it pleased the Lord, so is it come to
pass : blessed be the name of the Lord.”

So Satan perceived that, though all that I had
possessed was taken from me, nothing could break
my spirit or make me rebel against God. He de¬
parted, therefore, and asked leave of the Lord
that he might afflict my body. And the Lord
gave him power over my body to use it as he
would, but over my life He gave him no power.
Then Satan came to me as I sat upon my throne
mourning for the loss of my children ; and he came
in the form of a great whirlwind, and cast my
throne down to the ground, so that I lay for three
hours without moving. And he smote me with a
sore plague from head to foot, and I was filled
with worms and ulcers and corruption. Therefore
I arose and went out of the city in great misery
and sorrow of heart, and sat upon a dunghill, being
severed from the sons of men because of my evil
plague. And there I remained many days. And
I had no strength to work and earn my bread,

92

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

so that my wife was compelled to labour as a
handmaid in the house of a rich man, and carry
water ; and for that they gave her bread, and she
brought it to me. Then was I cut to the heart,
and said, “Alas for the pride of the men of this
place ! How can they endure to treat my wife
as a slave?” Yet after that again I strengthened
my soul and was patient.

After some time they refused to give my wife
food enough for her and myself, but allowed her
only half of what they had given her before : yet
this she shared with me. Yea, she was not
ashamed to go and beg of the bakers in the
market-place, that she might have wherewith to
feed me.

When Satan saw her do so, he took upon him
the likeness of a seller of bread. And my wife
came and begged of him, supposing him to be a
man; and Satan said, “Pay the price, and take
what you will.” But she answered, “ Whence
should I have money? Have you not heard of
all that has befallen us ? If you will show mercy,
show mercy ; and if not, it is your own concern.”
He said, “If you had not deserved misfortune, I
suppose it would not have come upon you ; but now,
if you have no money, give me the hair of your
head, and take three loaves in exchange : it may

JOB

93

be that you can live on them for three days.” And
she thought within herself, “What is the hair of
my head to me in comparison with the hunger of
my husband?” And she said to Satan, “Gome,
take it.” And he took a pair of shears and cut off
her hair, and then gave her three loaves, in the
sight of all who were in the market-place. She
took the bread and came to bring it to me, and
Satan followed after her invisibly, and made her
soul heavy within her. So, as she drew near to
me she lifted up her voice and cried aloud, “Job,
Job, how long wilt thou sit upon the dunghill
waiting and expecting thy deliverance, while I
wander about from house to house and labour as
a slave ? Behold, my sons and my daughters, whom
I brought up with labour and pain, are perished
and gone, and thou sittest under the open heaven
filled with corruption, and I have to work day and
night to get bread to keep thy soul in thy body.
Lo, now have I sold the hair of my head for
bread. Who would believe that I am Sitis, the
wife of Job, who was clothed in fine linen woven
with gold, that washed her feet in basins of silver
and gold, that lay softly and was nurtured in plenty ;
but now I go barefoot, in rags, and sell my hair for
bread. One thing only remains, for my bones are
broken with very weariness of spirit. Arise and

94

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

eat this bread, and satisfy thy hunger, and then
speak a word against the Lord, and die ; and I
shall be freed from my misery and labour, and
have rest.”

But I answered her, “ Lo, now these many
years have I been set in the plague, enduring sick¬
ness of body and grief of heart, but my soul has
never been so heavy in me as when I heard thee
say, ‘ Speak a word against the Lord, and die.’
Shall we have borne the loss of our possessions,
and the death of our children, and at the end
lose the true riches? Remember all the good
things which we enjoyed aforetime. Shall we
receive those at the hands of the Lord, and not
bear to receive hard things likewise? But I per¬
ceive now why thou so speakest. Come forth,
thou that standest behind her to pervert her heart
and make her speak as one of the foolish women.
Hide thyself no longer ; come forth and withstand
me to the face.” Then Satan came forth from
behind my wife, and stood before me ashamed,
and even weeping in the bitterness of his heart ;
and he said, “Job, thou hast prevailed: thou art
flesh and I am a spirit, but I can do no more
against thee.” And he departed from me in con¬
fusion. And I, my children, thought of fighters
whom I had seen : one had thrown the other on

JOB

95

the ground and filled his mouth with sand, and
bruised every limb of his body, yet still he kept
his hold ; and of a sudden the one that was upper¬
most could endure the grip no longer, and gave
in, so that the undermost won the crown. Thus
was it with me and Satan ; and, my children, I
counsel you to be long-suffering in all that may
come upon you ; for there is nothing that is stronger
than patience.

Now it was not until many years had passed
that the tidings of my affliction came to the ears
of the kings who were of old time my friends —
for Satan caused the matter to be kept from them.
But when they heard, they set forth from their
countries and came to visit me, even Eliphaz of
Teman, and Bildad, and Zophar, and Elihu ; all of
them with great trains of followers. When they
were come into my land they inquired, “Where
is Jobab, the ruler of Uz ? ” And it was told them,
“He sitteth upon a dunghill without the city.”
And they asked what was become of my wealth —
for I was aforetime richer than all the princes of
the East — and they were informed of all that had
befallen me. So they came where I was, and some
of the men of the city with them, who showed me
to them. But they said, “ This is not Jobab.” Yet
the men of the place affirmed that it was so ; and

96

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

after they had disputed for some time, Eliphaz
called to me, “Art thou Jobab, our fellow-king?”
And I, weeping and casting dust upon my head,
bowed myself in token that it was I.

Then were they stricken with great astonishment
and terror, and fell to the ground as it were dead ;
and they rent their clothes and cast off their armour,
and sat down upon the ground. And Elihu lifted
up his voice and took up a lamentation over me,
calling to mind all the glory of my former state,
my sheep and oxen, camels and asses, my golden
beds and my jewelled throne, the lamps and per¬
fumes of my palace, and the beauty of my chil¬
dren, and saying, “Where is now the glory of
thy kingdom?” And when he had ended his
lamentation I said, “Hold your peace and I will
tell you.”

“ My throne is in the region beyond the world,
and the glory and beauty of it is at the right hand
of the Father.

“This world shall pass away and the glory of it
shall perish, and they that pay heed thereto shall
be overwhelmed in the overthrow of it ; but my
throne is in the land of the holy, and the glory
of it in the age that hath no change.

“ The rivers shall be dried up, and the abundance
of their streams floweth down into the depths of the

JOB 97

pit ; but the rivers of my land fail not, and their
streams water it for evermore.

“Kings shall pass away, and rulers be no more
seen : their names and their boasting shall be
as the image in the glass ; but my kingdom abideth
for ever, and the glory thereof is as the glory of
the chariot of the Most High.”

Then Eliphaz waxed very wroth, and said,
“Gome, and let us leave him to his folly. To
what purpose have we journeyed hither to com¬
fort him, if he rails against us and says, ‘Your
kingdom shall be brought to nought, but mine
endureth for ever ’ ? ” And he would have gone
away in a rage. But Bildad restrained him, saying,
“Remember that the man is sick in body and
mind ; we should not deal harshly with him ; it
may well be that he is mad.” And Bildad and
Zophar put questions to me to discern whether I
was of sound mind or not, and I answered them
soberly. And at last Zophar said, “What shall be
done for thee ? Behold, we have with us the most
skilful physicians that are in our kingdoms. Wilt
thou that they shall tend thee ? Peradventure thou
mayest find relief at their hands.” But I said, “ My
healing and my medicine shall be from the Lord,
who is the Maker of physicians and of all their craft.”

While I was yet speaking, there came to us

G

98

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

my wife Sitis, clothed in rags, and she had escaped
by stealth out of the house of her master ; for he
would have kept her within, fearing that the kings
would call him to account for his ill-usage of us.
So when she came to us, she threw herself down
before Eliphaz and said, “ Rememberest thou,
Eliphaz and thy fellows, how I looked and how
I was attired in the former days ? Look now and
see in what guise I go about.” And they were
cut to the heart and wept, but knew not what to
say; only Eliphaz took off his purple robe and
put it about her shoulders. And she besought
them, saying, “ I pray you, command your servants
to dig among the ruins of the house that fell upon
our children, and seek out their bones that they
may be buried and a memorial set up ; for till
this day we have never been able to do so because
of the cost. Consider, I beseech you, what I suffer
that have lost ten children, and not one of them
is given to burial.” So they prepared to dig ; but
I prevented them, and said, “Labour not in vain;
ye will not find my children, for they have been
taken up into the heavens by the King that created
them.” Again they said, “Who would not say
that thou art mad? Thy children are taken up
into heaven, sayest thou ? Show us now what thou
meanest.”

JOB

99

I said, therefore, “ Raise me up that I may stand
on my feet.” And they took each an arm and
raised me, and I stood up and made supplication
to the Father, and then said to them, “Lift up
your eyes and look towards the east.” And they
looked, and beheld my children crowned with glory
in the heavens, and above them the glory of the
Most High. Which when Sitis my wife saw, she
fell upon her face and worshipped, and said, “ Now
know I that there is remembrance of me with
God. I will go now into the city and rest a little,
and refresh myself for my labours of the morrow.”
So she went into the city, and entered into the
stable of the kine that had been hers, and had been
taken from her by those that employed her ; and
she lay down by one of the mangers and slept, having
her mind at rest, and so died. And on the morrow
her master sought her, and did not find her ; and
at last entering into the stable, he saw her lying
dead there, and ran out and summoned men to
him ; and all the city came and saw her lying in
the stable, and the beasts standing about her, lowing
and making lamentation over her. Then they
carried her forth and buried her beside the place
of the house that had fallen upon her children.

Now as for all the words which Eliphaz, and
Bildad, and Zophar, and Elihu spake with me,

100 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

and those wherewith I answered them, are they
not written in the book for your remembrance?
Also ye know how that at the last the Lord came
and answered me out of the whirlwind, and re¬
buked us. And we made atonement for that which
we had said amiss : all but Elihu, for into him
Satan had entered, and he had spoken evil words
against me ; wherefore he departed, and made no
atonement for his sin.

Also ye know how the Lord restored to me my
former state, and gave me the double of all that I
had possessed before ; and how I married your
mother, and she bare me you : seven sons and three
daughters, as it is this day.

And now behold, my sons, I die ; and as for
you, forget not ye the Lord, do good to the poor,
pass not by the helpless, take not to yourselves
wives from among the heathen.

Moreover, Job said, “ I will divide my substance
among you, and each of you shall possess his portion
in peace.”

Then Job divided his substance among his seven
sons, but to his daughters he gave none of it ; and
they were grieved, and said, “ Father, are we not
also thy children?” And he answered, “Trouble
not yourselves, for I have prepared for you an

JOB

101

inheritance better than that of your brethren.” And
he called to him his eldest daughter, and gave her
his signet-ring, saying, “Go into the treasure-
chamber and bring me the three golden caskets
which you will find there.” And when she had
brought them, he opened them, and took from them
three cords, and gave one to each of his daughters.
Nowr these cords were exceeding beautiful, of many
colours, and sending forth sparks of light as it had
been rays of the sun ; and he said to his daughters,
“ Gird them about you, and keep them all the days
of your life.”

But Keziah, the second of the daughters, said,
“Father, is this that excellent inheritance which
you promised to us ? What is the use of these cords ?
Shall we be able to live by means of them ? ” And
he answered, “ Not only so, but they will bring you
even into the better life. Know ye not, my children,
what is the worth of these cords? These are they
which the Lord gave me on the day when He had
mercy on me and healed me of my sickness ; for He
gave them to me, and said to me, ‘Rise up, gird
thy loins like a man, and I will inquire of thee and
thou shalt answer Me.’ And I put them about me,
and straightway all my sores and plagues fell away
from me, and my body was strengthened as if I had
never been sick ; and, moreover, I forgot all my pain

102 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

and sorrow of heart. Now therefore, my children,
so long as ye have these about you, the enemy can
do nothing against you; no, not even to put into
your minds evil thoughts. Arise, then, and gird
yourselves with them before I die.”

Then they did so, and their hearts were changed
and renewed within them, so that they forgot the
things of this world, and began to speak in the lan¬
guage of the angels, singing praises to the Lord of the
heavens, and telling of the glory of that place and
of the mighty works of the Father. And I, Nahor,
the brother of Job, who wrote this testament, sat by
and heard them ; and that which I could I wrote
down in a book, to be for them that come after,
that they might know somewhat of the wonders of
the Lord.

Now after three days wherein Job kept his bed
— yet without pain or sickness, for no disease had
power over him since the day when he put on that
heavenly girdle — after three days, I say, he was
aware of those that were coming to bear away his
soul. And he arose, and gave to his eldest daughter
a harp, and to the second a censer, and to the third
an instrument of music, that they might welcome
those that were on their way. And even as they
took them into their hands they saw the chariots of
light approaching ; and they uttered hymns of praise

JOB

103

and thanksgiving, each one in the language of them
that dwell in the holy places. Then He that sat in
the great chariot came near and took the soul of
Job, embracing it in His arms in the sight of his
daughters; but no man else saw that sight. And
He took it into the chariot and departed towards
the sunrising.

And after three days we made ready the body
of Job to the burial ; and all the widows, and the
fatherless, and the helpless came about us, crying
and saying, “Woe unto us this day, woe unto us!
He that was the strength of the weak, the light
of the blind, the father of the fatherless, the home
of the homeless, is taken from us.” And they would
not that his body should be hidden out of their sight.
But when we carried him to the sepulchre, his
three daughters went before, girded with the
heavenly girdles, and giving glory to God in hymns
and psalms of thanksgiving. And we laid him in
the tomb as it were sleeping a fair sleep ; and verily
he left after him a name that shall be famous and
renowned in all generations.

SOLOMON AND THE DEMONS

SOLOMON AND THE DEMONS

In an ancient Greek book called The Testament
(that is, the Last Words') of Solomon , the story is
told of the way in which Solomon overcame the
demons and made them serve him. The tale is
put into the mouth of the king himself.

When I was engaged upon the building of the
temple in Jerusalem, there was a lad, the son
of the foreman of the builders, of whom I took
notice, for he was a clever workman. Indeed, so
skilful was he that I increased his wages and his
allowance of food above the rest. Yet in spite
of that, as I saw him by day, I noticed that he
was becoming thin and weak and pale. So one
day I called him and asked him whether anything
was the matter with him. At first he would not
tell me, but when I pressed him he said, “I know
not whether you will believe it, O king, but a
strange thing has been afflicting me. Every night
when I go to my bed, something comes and sucks
my right thumb, and, moreover, it steals away my
food; and I feel that it is taking away all my

108 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

strength, and I believe that it is an evil spirit.”
When I heard that, I went back to my palace, and
thought earnestly, and consulted the writings of
the ancients ; and I prayed that a way might be
shown to me how I could set the lad free from
the power of the demon. And after some days
there came to me an angel, and brought me a ring
with a stone in it, on which was cut the figure

that is called the Pentalpha and within it the

Name that may not be spoken ; and he told me
what I must do with it. On the morrow, there¬
fore, I sent for the lad and gave him the ring,
saying, “Take this, and to-night, when the creature
comes, you must cast the ring into its bosom, and
say, ‘ In the strength of the Name, King Solomon
calleth thee.’ Then rise up and come running to
me, and be not afraid for whatever the demon may
say to you.”

So that night at the accustomed hour the wicked
demon Ornias came to the lad’s chamber, with in¬
tent to suck his blood and take away his food. But
the lad remembered my words, and cast the ring
upon the demon, saying, “Gome, for Solomon
calleth thee,” and set off* at once to my palace.
But the demon shrieked out after him, “ Boy, what
hast thou done ? Take the ring from me, and I will

SOLOMON AND THE DEMONS 109

give thee the hidden gold of the earth ; take it off,
and bring me not before Solomon ! ” But the lad
took no heed ; and running into the palace, he called
to me, “O king, I have brought the spirit, as you
told me ; he is there before the door, screaming and
entreating me and promising me the hidden treasures
of the earth if I will not force him to come to you.”
Then I rose up from my throne and went out into
the court of the palace, and saw the creature, in the
form of a flame of fire, quivering and shrinking ; and
I stood over it, and said, “ What is thy name?”
And it answered, “Ornias.” And I bade Ornias
reveal to me, in the strength of the ring, how I
should make him subject to me ; and he told me
where his abode was, and how he afflicted men,
and all that I asked him. Then I sealed him with
the seal of the ring, and appointed him to hew
stones for the building of the temple.

Thereafter, when I had considered what I should
do, I called for Ornias, and delivered the ring to
him, and bade him bring before me Beelzebul, the
prince of all the demons. So Ornias went to Beel¬
zebul, and found him sitting upon his throne, and
said, “Solomon calleth for thee.” And Beelzebul
said scornfully, “Who is this Solomon of whom
thou speakest?” And Ornias cast the ring into
the bosom of Beelzebul, and said again, “Solomon

110 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

calleth for thee.” And at that Beelzebul uttered
a mighty roar, and cast forth from his mouth a
great flame of fire ; but he must needs rise up
from his throne and follow Ornias, and stand
before me. And when I saw him, I gave thanks
to the Most High, who had given me power over
the demons. And I spoke roughly to him ; and he
promised to bring before me all the demons, and
that they should be subject to me, and do all that
I commanded them. And I appointed him to saw
blocks of marble in pieces for the work of the
temple ; but when the other demons saw their
lord and master labouring like a slave, they
shrieked aloud and were sorely dismayed.

After that I sent for many of the chief of the
demons, one by one, and questioned them concern¬
ing their deeds, what diseases they sent upon men,
and what secret things they knew, and how they
were to be subdued ; and when they had told me,
I bound them, and set them to work upon the
building of the temple.

Now the shapes in which they appeared before
me were manifold : one was like a beautiful
woman, but she had one foot like an ass’s hoof;
and another like a man without a head, and a
flame of fire coming out of his neck ; another
like a great dog. These two I bound together,

SOLOMON AND THE DEMONS 111

and the dog kept watch over the headless man,
and the flame of fire that came from his neck gave
light to the workmen by night. There were also
dragons, one with three heads, and one with the
head of a man. Another had a face that shone
with a green light, and hair like serpents, but the
rest of his body was darkness; and yet another
was a dark man with shining eyes, and a drawn
sword in his hand, who said that he was the
spirit of one of the old giants who perished in the
days of the flood. And of some I saw no shape,
but only heard a voice. But over all of them I
had dominion, and I appointed them tasks. Some I
made to carry water to the builders, and some made
ropes ; others melted the gold and silver, and
others lifted the stones. So the temple was built
speedily, and I, Solomon, enjoyed great honour
and peace and tranquillity in my kingdom, and the
kings and princes of all the regions round about
came to visit me, and brought me precious gifts ;
and my kingdom was greatly exalted.

Now in those days, as I was sitting on my throne
in the midst of my palace (and Ornias the demon
was standing by me), there came before me an old
man, one of my workmen, and cast himself down
before me, and cried to me to do him justice against
his son ; for his son ill-treated him and beat him,

112 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

and plucked out his hair. When I heard that, I
had pity on him, for he was an old man, and weak ;
and I sent for his son, and asked him why he dealt
so with his father. But the son denied it, saying,
“I am not so given over to wickedness that I
should strike my father. Be it far from me, O king :
I have done no such evil.” I sent him away, there¬
fore, and called his father again, and bade him be
reconciled with his son ; but he said, “ Nay, but let
him die the death.” Wherefore I was perplexed,
and it was in my mind to give sentence against the
young man ; but it happened that I looked at Ornias
the demon, and I saw that he was laughing. So I
sent the people away, and said to Ornias, “ Accursed
one, why dost thou laugh at me ? ” He answered,
“Forgive me, O king; it was not at thee that I
laughed, but at this wretched old man : because he
is contriving an evil death for his son, and, lo ! in
three days his son will fall sick and die.” Then
said I, “Is this the truth?” And he said, “It is.”
Then I sent for the old man and his son, and said
to them, “ Strive to make agreement between your¬
selves, and after three days come again to me ; and
in the meantime I will send you your food from
my table.” And they did obeisance and departed.
And when the three days were past, I saw the old
man come into the judgment-hall ; and he was

SOLOMON AND THE DEMONS 113

dressed in garments of mourning, and his face was
sad. I said therefore to him, “Where is thy son? ”
And he answered, “I have no son: this day have
I carried him to his burial.”

So when he was departed, I said to Ornias,
“How was it that thou knewest these things?”
And he answered, “It is thus, O king. We who
are spirits can fly up into the air under the
firmament, and we hover about among the stars
and overhear the decrees that go forth from the
heavens against the children of men when they are
appointed to die. But we cannot abide there for
long, and so we become weak, and fall like the
leaves from the trees ; and when men see us they
say, ‘Look, there is a falling star.’ But they are
not in truth stars that fall, since the stars have
their appointed place in the heavens, like the sun
and the moon ; but it is we, the spirits of the air,
who are in appearance like stars.” And I sent
Ornias away, and marvelled greatly.

Again, in those days there came to me a letter
from Adares the king of the Arabians, saying, “To
King Solomon, greeting! We have heard of the
wisdom that has been given to thee, and that thou
art a compassionate man, and that thou hast power
over all spirits that are in the air, or on the earth,
or under the earth. Now be it known to thee that

H

114 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

there is a destroying spirit in this land ; for every
day at dawn there arises a wind which blows for
three hours, and it is so venomous that every one
on whom it blows dies, and it kills the cattle also.
Now therefore we entreat thee in thy wisdom to
devise some means, and if it may be, send us a man
who can capture the spirit ; and if thou canst do so,
then I and my people will be tributary unto thee,
and Arabia shall keep peace with thee. And, we
beseech thee, make not light of our petition, for we
are in a great strait. And so farewell.”

When I had read this letter, I folded it up again
and gave it to my chief counsellor, saying, “Bring
it again to my remembrance after seven days.”
Then I thought upon the matter ; and after the
seven days I called one of my servants and said to
him, “ Make ready a camel, and get an empty wine¬
skin.” And he did so. Now the wine-skin was made
of a whole hide of a beast, so that it had the upper
parts of the four legs remaining upon it, the legs
being sewn up, and the neck open. I said to him
further, “ Take this ring and go into Arabia, to the
place where the venomous wind blows, and take the
skin and hold the ring in front of the mouth of the
skin towards the wind, so that the wind shall blow
through the ring ; and when the skin is blown up,
you will know that the demon is inside it. Then

SOLOMON AND THE DEMONS 115

hasten and tie up the neck of the skin, and seal it
with the ring, and put it upon the camel, and bring
it to me. But if on the way the demon promise
you gold and silver and treasures to let him go, see
that you do not obey him ; but rather make him
reveal to you where the treasures are hid, and mark
the places, and come on to me. Now go, and good
success be with you.” So my servant set out and
came to Arabia ; and the men of the country
doubted much whether he could capture the spirit.
But when the day was dawning, even the first day
after his coming, he rose up and set the skin with its
mouth towards the wind, and laid the ring in the
mouth of it ; and the wind blew through the ring and
entered into the skin and puffed it up. And the
man caught the neck of the skin and closed it, and
sealed it with the ring in the name of the Most
High. Then he abode yet three days in the place
to make trial of his success ; but the poisonous wind
blew no more, so that all the Arabians were assured
that the demon was safely shut up. And they
rejoiced greatly, and gave him many precious gifts,
and did him great honour ; and when he set forth to
come back to me, they accompanied him to their
borders. So he brought the skin back to Jerusalem,
and put it in the midst of the temple.

Now at this time I, Solomon, was somewhat

116 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

troubled, because I had a great stone made ready
to be placed upon the corner of the temple, and
none of my workmen and none of the demons
were able to lift it and set it in its appointed place ;
but I was exceedingly desirous to put it there, be¬
cause it was of such beauty and excellence. And
on the morning after my servant was come back out
of Arabia, I went down to the temple, thinking by
what means I could lift the stone. And as I entered
the temple I saw the skin ; and it rose up and
hopped seven paces, and fell on its face and did
obeisance to me ; and I marvelled, and bade it stand
up ; and it stood on its feet, puffed up with wind.
Then I asked, “Who are you?” And a voice
answered me from within the skin, “ I am Ephippas
who dwell in Arabia.” And I said, “What can
you do.” And it answered, “ I can overturn kings’
palaces, and wither the green trees of the wood,
and I can move mountains.” Then I said, “Are you
able to move this stone, and lift it up and set it upon
the corner of the temple ? ” And it said, “Not only
can I do so, O king, but if I have the demon that
is in the Red Sea to help me, I can bring up the
great Pillar that is there, and set it in whatever
place you command.” So I said, “Lift up the
corner-stone.” And the skin first of all became
flattened, as if the wind was gone out of it, and

SOLOMON AND THE DEMONS 117

slipped itself under the stone ; and then it blew
itself out again so that the stone was lifted up
upon its back, and it walked upon its stumps,
bearing the stone, to the ladder, and climbed up
and set the stone safely in its place upon the corner
of the temple ; and I was greatly rejoiced, and
all Jerusalem with me.

After that I sent Ephippas to fetch to me the
demon that is in the Red Sea, and commanded
them to bring with them the great Pillar ; and after
a while I saw the Pillar being borne through the
air, and was astonished at the strength of the two
demons. And when I considered with myself how
mighty they were, and how they could shake the
whole world in a moment of time, I feared to let
them go ; I made therefore a circle about them in
the air with my ring, and said, “ Stay there ! ” And
the demons stayed, holding the Pillar sloping be¬
tween heaven and earth ; and there they are to
this day. And if any one looks, he can see the
Pillar sloping in the heavens, but the demons he
cannot see. But when they let fall the Pillar,
then will be the end of the world.1

Then I questioned the demon of the Red Sea
and he told me how in old times he resisted Moses

1 I believe that the Pillar is the Milky Way : it is certainly meant to be
one of the constellations.

118 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

in Egypt, and helped Jannes and Jambres, the two
wizards who fought against Moses ; and how when
Pharaoh followed after the children of Israel he
went with him ; and when the sea returned back
and drowned the Egyptians, he was overtaken by
it and shut up in the depths, and he remained there
until Ephippas came and brought him to me.

Thus I, Solomon, had power over the spirits
of the earth, and of the air, and of the water, and
made them serve me ; and my kingdom was exalted,
and there was peace in my days. But when I
became mighty my heart was lifted up, and I com¬
mitted foolishness ; for I saw the daughter of a
certain Jebusite, and loved her exceedingly, and
asked for her in marriage. But her kinsfolk said,
“You shall not take her to be your wife except you
worship our gods, even the great gods Remphan
and Moloch.” Then I said, “I cannot worship
strange gods ; why would you that I should do
this?” They said, “Because they are the gods of
our fathers.” And I refused. Then I went to the
maiden and entreated her; and she also said, “I
will not hearken to you, except you worship my
gods.” So I departed from her. But after a little,
she sent me five locusts by the hand of a messenger,
saying, “Take these five locusts and crush them
in the name of the god Moloch, and I will be your

SOLOMON AND THE DEMONS 119

wife.” And I did so. And forthwith my glory
departed from me, and I forgot my wisdom, and
became weak and foolish in my mind ; and the
heathen woman compelled me to build temples to
the false gods, to Baal, and Remphan, and Moloch ;
and my spirit was darkened within me, and I be¬
came a byword among men and demons.

Therefore have I written this testament, that
men might remember me, and think of their latter
end as well as of their beginning.

THE STORY OF EBEDMELECH

THE STORY OF EBEDMELECH THE
ETHIOPIAN, AND OF THE DEATH
OF JEREMIAH

When the time was come when it was ordained
that Jerusalem should be laid waste by the king
of the Chaldeans, God spake to Jeremiah the
prophet, saying, “Depart out of this city, for I
am about to destroy it for the wickedness of
them that dwell therein.” But Jeremiah answered,
“Suffer me, I beseech thee, Lord, to speak a
word.” And He said, “Say on.” And Jeremiah said,
“Wilt Thou indeed deliver Thy chosen city into
the hand of the Chaldeans, that their king may
boast himself against it and say, * I have prevailed
against the Holy City of God’? Not so, Lord;
but if it be Thy will to destroy it, overthrow it rather
with Thine own hand.” And He said, “Neither
the king nor his power shall prevail to destroy
it, unless I first open the gates thereof to him.
Come therefore at the sixth hour of the night
to the city wall, thou and Baruch the scribe, and
I will show you what I will do.”

123

124 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

Jeremiah therefore rent his clothes and put
ashes upon his head, and went and found Baruch
in the temple ; and when Baruch saw him he was
dismayed, and cried out, “ What is the matter?”
And when Jeremiah had told him that which was
proposed concerning the city, he also rent his
clothes ; and they remained both of them in the
holy place all that day weeping.

But at the sixth hour of the night they went
out and walked upon the city wall. And suddenly
they heard the sound of a trumpet in heaven, and
there came down angels bearing torches of fire
in their hands, and alighted upon the four corners
of the wall of the city. Then Jeremiah and
Baruch perceived that the desolation of Jerusalem
was indeed at hand ; and Jeremiah cried out to
the angels, “I beseech you, destroy not the city
until I have spoken a word to the Most High.”
So the angels stayed their hand ; and Jeremiah
said, “ Lord, now we know of a truth that the city
will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans ;
tell us, therefore, what wilt Thou that we shall
do with the holy vessels of the temple?” And
he answered, “Commit them to the earth, and say
unto it, ‘ Hear, O earth, the voice of Him that
separated thee from among the waters, and sealed
thee with seven seals unto seven ages, even until the

THE STORY OF EBEDMELECH 125

time wherein thou shalt be renewed in beauty : keep
these vessels of the sanctuary until the coming of
the Beloved/ ” And Jeremiah continued and said,
“I beseech Thee, show me what I shall do for
Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, because he showed me
great kindness and delivered me out of the pit
wherein Zedekiah cast me; and I would not have
him see the desolation of the city, for it would
grieve him to the heart.” The Lord said, “Send
him to the vineyard of Agrippa which is on the
other side of the hill, and I will shelter him until
I bring back the people to the city. And as for
thee, go thou with thy people to Babylon, and
remain there to comfort them until they return
hither. And let Baruch abide here until I send
him word.”

Then he commanded the angels, and they brake
down the corners of the wall and loosened the
foundations, and made weak the fastenings of the
gates ; and after that a great voice sounded out of
the temple, saying, “Enter, ye enemies, and come
in, ye adversaries ; for He that kept the house
hath departed from it.” And the angels went up
again into heaven. But Jeremiah and Baruch went
into the temple, and took the vessels of the sanctuary
and delivered them to the earth, as they were com¬
manded ; and forthwith the earth opened her mouth

126 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

and swallowed them up. And for the rest of that
night they wept and lamented ; and in the morning
Jeremiah called for Ebedmelech and said to him,
“ Take a basket and go to the vineyard of Agrippa,
and fetch me some figs, that I may give them to
the sick and needy among the people ; and the
blessing of God go with thee.” And Ebedmelech
set forth.

On that same morning the host of the Chaldeans
surrounded the city, and a trumpet sounded in
heaven, and they came against the city ; and the
gates gave way before them, and the wall fell,
and they entered the city and laid it desolate, and
took the people captive. But Jeremiah took the
keys of the temple, and went outside the city and
threw them up towards the sun, saying, “O sun,
I say unto thee, take these keys and keep them
until God shall require them of thee ; for we are
not found worthy to keep them any longer.” And
they vanished out of his sight. Then he returned,
and the Chaldeans took him prisoner and carried
him away to Babylon. But Baruch fled, and took
refuge in a tomb, and there he remained in great
sorrow of heart.

Now Ebedmelech had gathered the figs, and
filled his basket ; and by the time he had finished,
the day had become burning hot. So he sat him

THE STORY OF EBEDMELECH 127

down under a tree to rest a little, and then laid his
head on the basket of figs and fell into a slumber.
And he slept for sixty-six years without waking.

And when the sixty-six years were over, and
the time of deliverance of the children of Israel was
near, Ebedmelech woke up, and said to himself, “I
should have been glad to sleep a little longer, for my
head is still heavy ; I have not slept my sleep out.”
And he uncovered his basket and looked at the figs,
and saw that they were oozing with juice ; and said
again, “Well, I should like to sleep yet a little, but
I am afraid I may oversleep myself; and if I do,
father Jeremiah will be disappointed ; for if he had
not been in haste for the figs, he would not have
sent me out so early.” So he rose and picked up
his basket of figs and put it on his shoulder, and went
back to Jerusalem. When he came near the city
he could not recognise it, and when he had entered
the gate he could not either find his own house or
see any of his acquaintance. He said therefore
within himself, “Some strange delusion has come
upon me ; I have missed my way in coming over the
hills : it must be that I was not fully awake. This
will be a wonderful thing to tell Jeremiah when I
meet with him.” And he went out of the city. But
when he looked back upon it, he could see that it
was indeed Jerusalem ; and he said, “ It is surely the

128 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

city, yet there is something wrong.” He went into
the city the second time, but he could find none that
knew him. And he said, “God preserve me!
Verily a delusion has fallen upon me,” and went
outside the city and sat down with the basket of figs,
saying, “Here will I sit until my eyes are opened,
and I can discern the truth.” After some time he
saw an old man coming from the fields, and said to
him, “ Old man, what is this city, I pray you ? ” The
old man said, “It is Jerusalem.” Ebedmelech said,
“Where are Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch
the scribe?” The old man answered, “You are
certainly not of this city, that you inquire concern¬
ing these men. Jeremiah is in Babylon with the
people that were carried away captive by Nebu¬
chadnezzar the king.” Then Ebedmelech marvelled
and said, “ If you were not an aged man, whom it is
not lawful to mock, I should have said you were
mad. How many hours is it, think you, since
Jeremiah sent me to the garden of Agrippa for
some figs for the sick people, and I went and
gathered them and slumbered for a little under a
tree, and have just now brought them back ; and
here they are with the juice oozing from them, just
as when I picked them ; and you say the people and
Jeremiah are gone to Babylon ! ” And he opened the
basket and showed the figs. And when the old man

THE STORY OF EBEDMELEGH 129

saw them he said, “Verily, my son, God has had
mercy on you. He has spared you from seeing the
desolation of the city. Behold, to-day it is sixty-
and-six years since the people were carried away.
And, if you believe not me, look upon the trees and
see that it is not the time of figs.” Then Ebed-
melech asked, “ What then is this month, and what
is the day ? ” And he answered, “It is the twelfth
day of Nisan.” And Ebedmelech believed, and
gave thanks to God ; and after that he gave the old
man some of the figs, and bade him farewell, saying,
“May God guide thee to the Jerusalem which is
above.” And he went to find Baruch.

And after a while he found him dwelling in a
tomb ; and they greeted one another, and rejoiced,
and Ebedmelech told Baruch all that had happened
to him, and Baruch marvelled and praised God.
Then they consulted how they might send word to
Jeremiah at Babylon ; for they perceived that the
time of the return of Israel was at hand. And it was
revealed to them that on the morrow at dawn
there should come a messenger whom they might
send.

On the morrow, therefore, Baruch rose early and
went out of the tomb, and saw an eagle sitting upon
a rock hard by ; and he called to it and it came, and
spoke with a man’s voice, saying, “ I am sent hither

130

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

to bear a message for thee.” Baruch said, “Canst
thou carry a letter to Babylon, to Jeremiah the
prophet?” And the eagle said, “To that end am
I sent.” So they wrote a letter, and took fifteen of
the figs from the basket and hung them on the
eagle’s neck; and Baruch blessed it, saying, “I say
unto thee, O king of the birds, go in peace, and bring
back an answer to me. Be not like the raven,
which Noah sent out, and it returned no more to
the ark ; but be like the dove, which returned the
third day with an answer of peace. And if the
birds of the air come against thee, fight with them,
and the power of God be with thee. Turn neither
to the right hand nor to the left, but go straight as
an arrow in the strength of the Most High.”

Then the eagle flew and rested not till it came
to Babylon ; and there it perched upon a tree in
a desert place outside the city, and waited until
Jeremiah and some of the people passed by, carrying
a dead man to burial. And it rose up and lighted
upon the bier of the dead man, and he revived.
And the eagle said to Jeremiah, “ Gather the people
together, and take the letter which is upon my neck,
and read it in their ears.” And he did so ; and the
people rejoiced, because the time of their deliverance
was at hand. Then Jeremiah wrote a letter to
Baruch, and put it upon the eagle’s neck. And he

THE STORY OF EBEDMELEGH 131

blessed the eagle, and sent it away ; but the figs he
gave to the sick among the people. And the eagle
returned to Jerusalem, and gave the letter to
Baruch ; and when he read it he wept, because
Jeremiah had written in it all the afflictions which
the people suffered at the hands of the Chaldeans.

Now when the time was fulfilled, the people
were set free from Babylon, and returned to Jeru¬
salem. And when they came back, they rejoiced
and gave thanks for their deliverance for nine days.
And on the tenth day Jeremiah stood up before all
of them and sang a hymn of praise ; and when he
had ended it, he fell on the ground and became as
one dead. When they saw that, Baruch and Ebed-
melech lifted up their voices and wept, saying,
“Our father Jeremiah, the priest of God, is
departed from us ! ” And all the people ran to¬
gether and saw Jeremiah lying as dead ; and they
rent their clothes and bewailed him, and then made
ready to bury him. But there came a voice,
saying, “Bury not the living.” And at that they
left off preparing a sepulchre for him, and waited,
keeping watch about his body, till he should
revive again.

And after three days the spirit of Jeremiah
returned to him again, and he rose up and pro¬
phesied ; and in his prophecy he said, “ There shall

132 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

be a Tree set up, which shall make the barren
trees fruitful, and the proud and fruitful trees
barren ; and the snow shall be turned to black¬
ness, and the sweet waters become bitter, and the
scarlet shall be white as wool. Moreover, He
shall bless the isles that they shall bear fruit by
the word of His mouth ; and He shall satisfy
the hungry souls.” And thereafter he began to
speak to them of the coming of the Beloved into
the world.

Now when the people heard it they were very
angry and said, “He blasphemeth. These are the
words that Isaiah spake, and they sawed him
asunder with a saw of wood. Let us slay Jeremiah
also, but him we will stone with stones.” And
Baruch and Ebedmelech cried out against them,
“Do not this great wickedness!” But Jeremiah
said, “Be silent, for they shall not kill me before
I have delivered to you all that I have seen and
heard. Fetch me a great stone.” And when
it was brought, Jeremiah prayed and said, “O
Light of the Ages, cause this stone to appear in
my likeness.” And immediately the stone took
upon it the likeness of Jeremiah, and the people
began to stone it, believing that it was Jeremiah.
And in the meantime he went on speaking to
Baruch and Ebedmelech until he had committed

THE STORY OF EBEDMELECH 133

to them all the mysteries which he had heard while
he lay in a trance.

Then he arose and stood forth in the midst of
the people, and the stone cried out with a loud
voice, “O foolish people, why stone ye me, think¬
ing that I am Jeremiah ; and behold, he is in the
midst of you ! ” And their eyes were opened, and
they ran upon him and stoned him ; and his ministry
was accomplished.

But Baruch and Ebedmelech buried his body ;
and they took the stone and set it up over his
grave, and wrote upon it, “This is the helper of
Jeremiah.”

/

AHIKAR

AHIKAR

I

In the Book of Tobit in the Apocrypha you will find
mention in several places of a man called Achi-
acharus, who was a relation of Tobit. In the first
chapter (verses 21, 22) you read that he was a great
officer at the court of king Esarhaddon ; and at
the end of the book (xiv. 10) you may learn some¬
thing about his story ; for Tobit says to his son
Tobias, “Remember, my son, how Aman handled
Achiacharus that brought him up, how out of light
he brought him into darkness, and how he rewarded
him again ; yet Achiacharus was saved, but the other
had his reward, for he went down into darkness.”
Then it goes on, “ Manasses gave alms, and escaped
the snare that was set for him, but Aman fell into
the snare and perished.”

Now of late years the book has come to light
which tells the whole history of Achiacharus (or
Ahikar, as we shall call him), and you will see as
you go on that in the Book of Tobit some mistakes
have been made in the names, and that instead of

137

138 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

Aman we shall have to read Nadan, and instead
of Manasses, Achiacharus.

This is the story of Ahikar. He is made to tell
it himself, and he says :

When I was a young man I was steward to
the great king Esarhaddon, the king of Nineveh.
I was rich, and had great estates and beautiful
palaces ; I had everything that my heart desired,
except one thing : and that was, a son. I had no
child to comfort me and to inherit my great pos¬
sessions after me.

Many times did I go to the temples of the
gods of Nineveh and offer them sacrifices and gifts
and burn incense before them; and I said, “O
gods, give me a son, that I may enjoy his company
while I live, and when I die he may close my
eyes and bury me. And verily I am so rich that
if every day from the day of my death until he
died he were to take a bushel of my money and
cast it away, he would not come to the end of it
before his death.” But the gods of Nineveh made
me no answer.

Then I bethought me of the God of Israel, of
whom I had learned when I was a child (for I
came out of the land of the Hebrews), and I
turned to Him and besought Him in like manner
that He would grant me a son. And a voice came

AHIKAR

139

to me saying, “Forasmuch as thou hast put thy
trust in false gods and sacrificed to them, thou
shalt have no son. Yet this do : take thy sister’s
son Nadan, who is a young child, and bring him
up as thine own son.”

So I took Nadan and gave him to eight nurses
to bring him up. He was fed on all manner of
dainties, he was clothed in purple and scarlet, and
slept on the softest beds. He grew up like a fair
young cedar-tree ; and I instructed him in all my
wisdom, until I was sixty years old.

One day the king Esarhaddon returned from
journeying through his kingdom, and sent for me
and said, “Ahikar, my friend, my faithful and
wise counsellor, you are becoming an old man.
If you die, who shall succeed you and serve me
in your place?” I answered, “O king, live
for ever. There is with me the son of my sister,
whom I have brought up as my own son, and have
instructed him in all the ways of wisdom.” The
king said, “Go, bring him before me, and if I
take pleasure in him, he shall serve me in your
stead, and you can have rest from your labours,
and joy and honour in your old age.” So I
brought Nadan to the king ; and when the king
saw him, he delighted in him and said, “The
gods preserve you, my son ! ” And to me he said,

140

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

“As you have served me and my father
Sennacherib, so shall this youth serve me, and I
will honour him and promote him for your sake.”
And I gave thanks to the king, and we went out,
I and Nadan, from his presence. And I took
Nadan home and spoke to him in private, telling
him how he should conduct himself, and of what
men he ought to beware, and whom he should
trust. All these precepts are written in the
book of Ahikar, but they are not put down
here.

Now I hoped that Nadan would pay heed to
my words of instruction ; but when the king had
exalted him, and taken him to live at the palace
with him, I was grieved to see that Nadan began
to become wasteful and unruly, and that, if I
had suffered him, he would have squandered my
money and ill-treated my servants. I admonished
him, therefore, but it was in vain. He said, “My
uncle Ahikar is getting old and timorous : his
wisdom is failing him : one need not pay much
heed to what he says.” And by degrees I saw
that the king began to believe Nadan, and that
he no longer received me with such honour as
in the old days : and this was a grief to me.

Now as I no longer had Nadan to live with me,
I considered, and took his younger brother Nabu-

AHIKAR

141

zardan into my house. But when Nadan heard
of this, he was very angry, for he thought, “Is
this old man going to leave all his possessions to
my younger brother, and turn me out?” So he
began to think and plot how he might put me
out of the way, and himself gain favour with
the king.

And at last he sat down and wrote certain
letters. In the first he deceitfully imitated my
handwriting, and sealed it with my seal. It was
written in my name to the king of Persia, saying,
“From Ahikar, scribe and treasurer to Esar-
haddon, king of Assyria, greeting! As soon as
thou hast received this letter, set forth with thine
host, and come to the plain of the south, on the
25th day of this month, and I will guide thee
to Nineveh, and thou shalt take the city and
possess the kingdom without any strife or battle.”
This letter he left lying in my chamber in the
palace.

The other was written to me in the king’s
name, and sealed with his seal, “To Ahikar
from Esarhaddon, greeting ! As soon as thou
receivest this letter, assemble the army, and go to
the plain of the south, on the 25th day of this
month ; and when thou shalt see me, range the
troops as if for battle, and come quickly towards

142

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

me : for I have the ambassadors of the king of
Egypt with me, and I desire that they should
see the might of my army.” This letter Nadan
sent to me, and I began to make preparations as
it commanded me. Thereafter Nadan took the
first letter, feigning to have found it in my
chamber, and brought it to king Esarhaddon.
And when the king had read it, he was very
angry and said, “O ye gods! what have I done
to Ahikar that he should seek to betray me
thus?” Nadan said, “Perhaps, my lord, it is a
forgery ; be not too soon disturbed ; let us wait
till the day appointed, and then go to the plain of
the south ; if Ahikar is not there, we shall know
that the letter is not his ; but if he is there, and
armed men with him, I fear that he must indeed
be conspiring against thee.” And the king con¬
sented.

On the twenty-fifth day of the month, therefore,
the king and Nadan set forth and rode out to the
plain of the south. And I, as I had been com¬
manded, was there with the great army which I
had gathered ; and so soon as I saw the king and
his train approaching, I drew up the soldiers in
battle array and marched quickly towards him, and
the soldiers waved their weapons and shouted, and
there was a great noise. Then the king was very

AHIKAR

143

sorely troubled, for he was sure that I had rebelled
against him. But Nadan said, “Go back, my lord
king, to the palace ; I will capture that evil old man
and bring him before you.” And the king departed
with his servants.

But Nadan rode up to me and said, “All that
you have done is right, and well performed ; the
king is greatly pleased with you, and desires that
you will send away the soldiers to their homes and
come before him alone to receive your reward.”
So we rode into the city, and he brought me into
the palace, where the king was seated on his throne,
and all his servants about him ; and I perceived that
the king was in displeasure, but I knew not why.
Then he put into my hand the letter which was
written in my name to the king of Persia, and said,
“Read that letter.” And when I had read it, my
knees knocked against each other, and I was speech¬
less ; I sought for a word of wisdom, but I found
none. Nadan cried aloud, “O wicked and foolish
old man, come forth from the presence of the king ;
stretch out thy hands for the cords and thy feet for
the fetters ! ” And they bound me.

Then the king Esarhaddon turned away his face
from me and spoke to Nabushemak, the chief of the
executioners, who had been my friend, and said,
“Take Ahikar, smite off his head, and remove it a

144

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

hundred ells from his body.” And I fell on my
face and said, “O king, live for ever! It is thy
will to slay me, yet I know that I have not sinned
against thee. Now, my lord, I beseech thee, com¬
mand that I may be slain before the door of my own
house, and that my body may be given to my wife
to be buried.” And the king gave commandment
accordingly.

Now as they were taking me to my house, I sent
a messenger before me to my wife Ashfagni, who
was a very wise woman. And she, when she heard
what had happened, did not waste time in making
lamentation, but hastened and prepared refreshment
for Nabushemak and for the slaves that were his
helpers. She came forth to meet them, and accom¬
panied them into the house, and set food and wine
before them ; and the slaves drank of the wine till
they were drunken and fell into a deep sleep, every
one in his place.

Then I said to Nabushemak, “ Do you remember
how, when the father of the king delivered you to
me to be put to death, I spared you because I knew
that you had not done that for which you were
condemned ; and how, when the king learned that
you were guiltless, he took you into favour again,
and rewarded me? Now I swear to you that I
likewise have not conspired against king Esarhaddon,

AHIKAR

145

but I have been falsely accused. Save me there¬
fore ; but lest the rumour should be spread abroad
that I have not been put to death, do this. I have a
prisoner in my house who is condemned justly to
death. Take my clothes and put them upon him,
and smite off his head ; behold, your servants are
drunken and will perceive nothing, and I will be
in hiding until the day when the truth is made
known.”

And Nabushemak was glad — for he was my
friend — and agreed ; and it was done as I advised.
The slaves took the prisoner and smote off his head,
perceiving nothing, and gave his body to be buried
instead of me ; and it was published throughout all
Nineveh and Assyria that Ahikar was dead.

Then Nabushemak and my wife Ashfagni made
a hiding-place in the ground ; it was four cubits long
and three broad and five in height, and it was covered
with a stone. There they hid me, and gave me
bread and water to eat, secretly, and there I abode
many days. But Esarhaddon was grieved in spirit,
and said to Nadan, “ Go to the house of Ahikar and
celebrate his funeral, for he was thy uncle, and
served me and my father faithfully for a long time.”
So Nadan came to my house ; but he did not celebrate
my funeral. He gathered together strange men and
women, and feasted with them, and sang, and drank,

K

146 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

and was drunken. He mocked at my wife Ashfagni,
and as for my servants, who loved me and had been
long in my house, he stripped them and beat them
and ill-treated them until I heard the voice of their
weeping and crying in my hiding-place, and I prayed
the Most High to deliver us and to reward Nadan
according to his works.

II

Now when Pharaoh, king of Egypt, heard that
I, Ahikar, was dead, he was very glad ; for he had
always stood in awe of my wisdom. And he wrote
a letter to Esarhaddon in these words: “Pharaoh,
king of Egypt, to Esarhaddon, king of Assyria,
greeting ! I desire to build a castle between heaven
and earth. Send me therefore a wise man to whom
I may commit the business. If he accomplishes all
that I require and answers all my questions, I will
send you by his hands the whole revenue of Egypt
for three years. But if you cannot send me such a
man, then you must send to me, by my messenger,
the whole revenue of Assyria for three years. And
if not, I shall come against you and lay your land
desolate. And so farewell.”

When the letter was read before Esarhaddon, he
called together his princes and counsellors and wise

AHIKAR

147

men, and said to them, 4 ‘Which of you will go to
Egypt and answer the questions of Pharaoh?”
They said, “Lord and king, in the time of your
father it was Ahikar the scribe who answered all
hard questions and solved all difficulties; and be¬
hold, now you have with you his sister’s son Nadan,
who has been instructed in his wisdom and can do
all that you require.” So the king turned to Nadan
and said, “Will you go to Egypt and answer
Pharaoh ? ” But Nadan said, “ It is folly ! The gods
themselves could not build a castle between heaven
and earth ; how then should the children of men
accomplish such a thing?” When the king heard
that, he arose and came down from his throne, and
threw himself on the ground lamenting and saying,
“Alas, alas, I am undone. I have slain my
servant Ahikar at the word of a foolish boy, and
there is none like him left ! Who can give him
back to me?”

Then Nabushemak spoke and said, “O king,
live for ever. He that disobeys the commandments
of his master is worthy of death. Say therefore
the word, and let them hang me on a tree ; for
Ahikar, whom you bade me slay, is not dead, but
living!” The king said, “O Nabushemak, if it be
as you say, and if you can show me Ahikar alive,
I will give you ten thousand talents of gold and

148 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

a hundred robes of purple. Say on, therefore.”
Nabushemak said, “One thing I ask of my lord:
that he will not keep this my trespass in mind, nor
store up wrath against me.” And the king sware
to him.

Nabushemak went forth immediately and
mounted his chariot, and drove swiftly to my
house. He uncovered the hiding-place and brought
me forth, and took me up into his chariot and led
me into the presence of the king. And when the
king saw me, he wept ; for I was in evil plight.
My hair was grown over my shoulders, and my
beard reached down to my girdle ; my body was
foul with dirt, and my nails were as long as eagles’
claws; my eyes were dim from the darkness, and
my limbs were stiff so that I could scarcely walk.
And the king said, “ O Ahikar, it is not I that have
brought this misery upon you, but he whom you
have brought up as your own son.” I answered,
“O king, since mine eyes have looked upon you I
have no more sorrow or pain.” The king said,
“ Go to your house, bathe your body, and cut your
hair ; refresh yourself and take your rest for forty
days ; then come back to me.” And I did so. But
after twenty days I had recovered my strength, and
I went back to the king. Then he showed me the
letter of the king of Egypt, saying, “Behold,

AHIKAR

149

Ahikar, the burden which they would lay upon
me and upon my kingdom.” And I answered,
“O king, live for ever. Trouble not yourself, nor
be disquieted about this matter. I will go to Egypt
and answer the hard questions ; and I will bring
back to you the revenues of Egypt for three years.”
So the king was comforted ; he rejoiced greatly, and
made a feast, and gave me rich presents.

Immediately after this, I began to make ready
for my journey ; and first I ordered my huntsmen
to catch two young eagles alive. I also chose from
among my servants two young boys whose names
were Nabuchal and Tabshalom, and taught them
to ride upon the backs of the eagles ; and after a
while the eagles became accustomed to bear them
up in the air. I also taught them certain words
which they should say at the appointed time, and
practised them until they knew perfectly what they
had to do.

And when all was prepared, I set forth with a
great company and went to Egypt. It was told
Pharaoh that an embassy was come from Nineveh,
and he sent for me, and when I appeared before
him he asked who I was. And I answered, “I am
Abikam, one of the least of the servants of Bsar-
haddon.” Pharaoh was displeased, and said, “Am
I then so much despised by your master that he

150 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

sends me the least of his servants ?” I said, “My
lord Esarhaddon is so far exalted above his servants
that in his sight the great and the small are all
alike.” He said, “Depart from my presence, and
to-morrow come again to me.”

Then Pharaoh, who desired foolishly to make
himself appear great in our eyes, arrayed himself
in purple, and made his nobles put on scarlet and
stand about him ; and when I came into his presence
he asked me to what I compared him. I said,
“My lord, you are like the god Bel, and your
nobles are like his priests.” And in like manner
on the following days he dressed himself in various
colours, and each day asked me what I should
liken him to. And I said, “To the sun” on one
day, and “To the moon” on the next, and on the
third day, “To the spring and the flowers of it.”
And he was greatly pleased, and said, “Abikam,
you have compared me to the god Bel, and to the
sun and the moon and the spring ; now tell me, to
what do you liken your master Esarhaddon ? ” I
said, “I cannot tell you, O king, until you have
risen from your throne.” So Pharaoh stood up,
and I said, “My lord Esarhaddon is like the great
God of Heaven in respect of you : He has
dominion over the god Bel, He can forbid the
sun to shine and the moon to rise, and He can

AHIKAR

151

lay waste the spring and all the flowers thereof.”
Then Pharaoh was displeased and said, “I adjure
you by the life of your lord Esarhaddon, tell me,
what is your name, in very deed ? ” I answered,
“ I am Ahikar the scribe, and the seal of Esarhaddon
is in my keeping.”

Pharaoh was troubled when he learned that I
was yet alive, and he sent me away, saying, ‘ 6 To¬
morrow come to me and tell me a thing which
neither I nor my nobles have ever heard.” So I
took thought, and wrote in the name of Pharaoh a
bond in which it was said that he owed to my lord
Esarhaddon nine hundred talents of gold. And
next day I brought it before Pharaoh ; but before
I had opened it the nobles cried out, saying, “We
know it of old, we know it well ! ” Then said I,
“ I thank you for acknowledging the debt.” And I
gave the paper to the king, and he looked on it and
said to them, “ What ! Do you acknowledge that I
owe nine hundred talents of gold to Esarhaddon ? ”
And they were confounded, and cried out again,
“No! no! we have never heard of any such
thing.” So I said, “If it be so, I have done what
you required.”

But Pharaoh said, “It is enough: I have sent
for you to build me a castle between the earth and
the heavens ; even a thousand cubits above the

152

OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

earth. Gome forth into the plain to-morrow and
accomplish this.” And I said, “ Well, O king ; and
do you for your part bring masons and that which
is necessary for building.” So on the morrow a
great multitude assembled to see how the matter
would go. But I had my eagles and my boys in
readiness ; and when Pharaoh gave the word, I sent
them up, the boys riding on the eagles ; and when
they were high up in the air, the boys called out,
as I had taught them, “Bring us mortar, lime, and
stones : we are ready to begin the building ! ” And
the masons and all the people were amazed, gaping
at the boys. And I fell upon the masons and beat
them, saying, “ Why delay you? Make haste, give
them what they ask for,” and such-like words, till
they fled before me. And I said to Pharaoh, “If
your people refuse to do their part, how can I do
mine ? ” And Pharaoh and his nobles murmured,
but they could not think of any answer. So Pharaoh
said, “ It is enough ; leave the matter of the castle ;
I have other questions to ask you.”

On the morrow he called for me, and said, “I
saw a great pillar built of 8763 bricks, and about
it are planted twelve cedars, and each has thirty
branches, and on each branch are a black and a white
mouse which gnaw it.” I laughed and made answer,
“ O king, there is not a child in the land of Assyria

AHIKAR

153

who could not interpret this riddle. The pillar is
the year, the bricks are the hours, the cedars the
months, their branches the days, and the black and
white mice are the night and the day.”

Pharaoh’s face fell, and he said, “Well. But
now I command you to plait me a rope out of the
sand.” I answered, “Let them bring me a pattern
out of your store-house, O king, that I may have it
to copy.” He said, “You trifle with me; and
unless you plait me such a rope I will not pay you
the revenues of Egypt.” I went aside therefore
and considered ; and knowing that the Egyptians
were foolish, I thought upon a plan. I got a mass
of sand and put it in a chest, and made it run out
through two pipes so that when the sun shone upon
it, it appeared like the strands of a rope ; and I
called to the king, “ Let your servants plait together
the two strands of the rope which I have made, and
when they have done so I will make more.” And
again they were dismayed, and could say nothing.

Lastly, Pharaoh showed me a millstone which
was broken in two pieces, and said, “ Come, Ahikar,
sew this together for me.” But I took a small
piece of a like stone, and said, “ O king, I have not
my tools with me ; but command your shoemaker
to cut me a thread out of this piece of stone, and
I will sew the millstone together forthwith.”

154 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

Then Pharaoh laughed, and said, “ Well, Ahikar,
it was on a good day for your lord that you were
born. Gome, I will make you a feast, and after
that you shall return to your own land.”

So after certain days I departed, taking with
me the revenues of Egypt for three years, and also
the nine hundred talents which I had made Pharaoh
acknowledge that he owed to my lord. And Esar-
haddon came forth to meet me ; and when he heard
what I had done, he made me sit down on his right
hand, and said, “Ahikar, ask what thou wilt and
I will give it thee.” Then I said, “ O king, live for
ever ! Two things only will I require of thee : one,
that thou wouldst do good unto Nabushemak, for it
is by his means that I was saved alive ; and the
other, that thou wouldst give me power over my
sister’s son Nadan, and not require his life at
my hand.” And the king granted my request,
and exalted Nabushemak to the first rank in his
kingdom ; but Nadan he delivered into my hand.

I took Nadan to the hall of my house, and set
him with his feet in the stocks, and a collar of
iron about his neck, and iron bands upon his hands ;
I fed him with bread and water, and chastised him
with rods. And when I came in or out of my
house I stood and reproached him, speaking in
parables and proverbs.

AHIKAR 155

Now these are some of the parables which I
spake to Nadan :

44 My son, thou art like one that shot an arrow
into the heaven to slay God : the arrow fell back
upon him and pierced him.”

“Thou art like one that saw his neighbour
shivering with cold, and took a vessel of cold
water and poured it over him.”

“Thou didst think to take my place after my
death ; but know that even if the tail of the pig
grew seven cubits long, no man would mistake the
pig for a horse.”

“Thou art like the trap that was set on a dung¬
hill. The sparrow saw it and said, 4 Brother, what
dost thou here ? ’ The trap answered, 4 I am
fasting and praying.’ The sparrow said, 4 And
what is that piece of wood by thee ? ’ The trap
said, 4 My staff upon which I lean when I pray.’
4 And what is that in thy mouth ? ’ 4 It is a

little food for hungry wayfarers.’ Then said the
sparrow, 4 1 am hungry and a wayfarer.’ 4 Gome
hither then,’ said the trap, 4 and fear nothing.’
But when the sparrow came, the trap caught it by
the head ; and the sparrow said, 4 If these be thy
fastings and prayers, God will not accept thy fasting
nor hearken to thy prayer.’ ”

“Thou art like the pig that went to the bath

156 OLD TESTAMENT LEGENDS

along with the nobles ; and when it had bathed
and come forth, it saw a pool of mud, and went
and rolled therein.”

“Hearken: a serpent was sleeping on a thorn-
bush, and a flood came and swept them both away.
And a wolf saw them floating on the water, and
said, ‘There goes one evil upon another evil, and
a third evil carrying them off*.’ The serpent said,
‘And dost thou bring back the kids and lambs
to their mothers?’ ‘Nay,’ said the wolf. The
serpent said, ‘ I know not whether there is much
to choose betwixt us.’”

“Thou art like the mole that came up out of
the ground to curse God because He had not given
to it sharpness of sight ; and the eagle saw it, and
carried it off*.”

“When men say to the wolf, ‘Get away from
the flock,’ he saith, ‘ Nay, but the dust thereof is
healing to mine eyes.’ When they took him to the
school, the teacher said, ‘Say A.’ The wolf said,

‘ Lamb.’ ‘ Say B.’ He answered, ‘ Kid.’ Surely he
spake of that which was in his thoughts.”

At last, after many days, Nadan besought me,
saying, “Have mercy on me, spare my life, and
I will feed thy swine and keep thine asses, and
be thy slave for ever.”

And I said, “Thou art like the palm-tree which

AHIKAR

157

bare no dates, and the owner came to cut it down ;
and it said, ‘ Leave me this one year, and next
year I will bear melons.’ But he said, ‘Thou that
hast not borne thine own fruit, how wilt thou bear
one that is not thine?’ Now, behold, I will say
no more to thee, O Nadan ; but let God, who
preserved me alive, judge between thee and me.”

And forthwith judgment went forth against
Nadan, and his body swelled up and burst, and
he died. For it is written, “He that diggeth a
pit for another shall fall into the midst of it
himself.”

THE END

Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co,
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